Dear Editor,

We would like to extend our deepest thanks to everyone who helped make this past summer's 3rd annual Dream Big Fundraiser another huge success. We were able to raise enough money to support three important endeavors for The Ian Korbek Fund.

We are currently planning to refurbish the Ian Kortbek Memorial Skatepark, which is starting to show signs of wear and tear from the countless people who have enjoyed using the park. Now that the summer crowds have slowed down, a few days will be set aside to restore and repaint some of the park's equipment.

As always, the Ian Kortbek Fund will continue to support the Ian Kortbek Memorial Scholarship. This past year a thousand dollar scholarship was awarded to a graduating senior from the Block Island School. We encourage all seniors at the Block Island School to apply for this scholarship, and remind them that this particular grant is not only for college or university tuition, but can be used for any pursuit of further education.

Finally, last year it was brought to our attention that a family in Georgia was heading a skatepark project, Robbie's Dream, in honor of their late son Robbie. Today they've secured land from their town and are in the final steps of making their memorial skatepark a reality. The Ian Korbek Fund was honored to contribute to Robbie's Dream, and will continue to collaborate with Robbie's family throughout the project. This marks a new direction for the Ian Kortbek Fund that spans beyond the shores of Block Island, touching the lives of kids across the country.

Our sincerest thanks to all the members of Block Island community, and all the contributors to the Ian Kortbek Fund, for all your help and support of the Ian Kortbek Fund, we know that without you none of this would be possible.

To learn more about the Ian Kortbek Fund, visit our website at http://www.IanKortbek.com.

Sincerely,

Eddie Stover
President, Dream Big

Parker Lacoste
Vice President, Dream Big

More than 300 people came to Ball-O'Brien on a sunny Sunday morning, Nov. 3, to pay their final respects to Ian Kortbek at the site of the future skate park to be named in his honor.

Block Island, Rhode Island - Awarded $10,000

With a year-round population of only 800, and over one-fourth of the small island dedicated as a wildlife reserve, recreation facilities on Block Island are very limited. In 1999, after being banned from skateboarding around town, skaters Ian Kortbek and Edward Stover wrote a letter to the town requesting a skatepark. They proceeded to lobby for the park and generated strong community support. With backing from the local Lion's Club, the grassroots project gained momentum and numerous fundraisers were held.

In 2001, a traffic accident took Ian's life. Determined to complete the skatepark in his memory, the community rallied on. In 2003, after four years of fundraising and working toward Ian's dream, they requested bids on the concrete pad, and to their dismay material costs had almost doubled since they began their efforts. Determined to stick with the original design, they decided to continue fundraising until the additional cost was covered.

After an extraordinary display of perseverance and hard work they were only $10,000 away from realizing their new goal when they applied for a Tony Hawk Foundation grant. The Board of Directors awarded them the well-deserved funds, and the Ian Kortbek Memorial Skate Park opened later that year. "Time after time we had thought that the project would never be completed," writes Edward Stover, now away at college. "The town kept telling us of new ordinances that needed to be followed, and new building materials that would need to be paid for. It seemed that we would never be able to raise enough money, but with countless fundraisers, letters upon letters to local contributors, pleading at meeting after meeting, and your greatly appreciated contribution, we finally reached our goal."

The years of hard work paid off with a sense of accomplishment and a skatepark that benefits the entire community. "The reception by the community for the skatepark has been overwhelmingly favorable," says skatepark-committee leader Ray Torrey. "The park is very busy-even when the weather turns cold. The skaters have learned that persistence pays off-where there is a will there is a way. We [town officials/adult community members] are impressed with how attractive and trouble-free it has turned out to be, and how much it has added to our community!"