The Jasper Volunteer Fire Brigade has seen the plans for the Jasper Skatepark project and now they want to Shove-it forward.

At a recent meeting, the men and women of the JVFB decided they would match new community donations up to $50,000

“It seems like the project has been stalled,” JVFB member Sean Fitzgerald said. “It’s our hope we can kickstart it again.”

$50 K is a big number, but Fitzgerald said the project is going to make a big difference in the community.

“A skatepark is such a good community investment,” he said. “The cost to the user is low, there’s a low barrier for entry and it gets people moving.”

It also captures users from a wide spectrum. Skateparks’ best asset are their inclusivity, he said.

The Jasper Fire Brigade is an organization dependent on volunteers. Even though the Municipality of Jasper budgets a stipend for the group, if that money isn’t used on training or equipment, it gets socked away. Over the past decade, even after spending $127,000 on the Fireman’s Park in the 200 block of Bonhomme Street, the JVFB still had enough in the kitty to want to chip into the skatepark.

“This aligns with our mandate of giving back to the community,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re all here for community work.”

Same goes with Darrell Savage, the lead organizer of the Jasper Skatepark Committee. When Savage heard that the fire brigade wanted to help the cause he’s been championing for the last five years, he was overjoyed.

“This is a pivotal donation,” Savage said. “This feels like a turning point.”

Donations have been trickling in, and recently Savage presented to Jasper municipal council, who wanted to get a sense of what budget they might allocate future skatepark committee funding, but having the clear support of the fire brigade gives the committee leverage for other grants and funding opportunities. Plus it signals community buy-in, which should motivate other potential donors, Savage said.

“Having the fire department see this as a good opportunity to support Jasper’s youth will have a domino effect, I think,” he said.

Fitzgerald said that is exactly how the brigade sees the project.

“It’s for all ages, this is something for all the kids in our community,” Fitzgerald said.

The JVFB has unleashed a firehose of goodwill on the community lately. Along with the commitment to the skatepark, they recently cut cheques to the Jasper Food Bank ($10,000) and the Jasper Gymnastics Club ($2,000).

“Jasper spends a lot of money on infrastructure that caters to visitors,” Fitzgerald said. “These projects are for the people in our community.”

The Fire Brigade will match any donations, including those which go to the Jasper Skatepark’s Go Fund Me Page

Bob Covey// thejasperlocal@gmail.com