Phase two of Abbeville skate park set to begin

What has been a big attraction for Abbeville will soon become even bigger.
For the last year, the city’s skate board park, located inside A.A. Comeaux Park, has drawn riders from all around Acadiana.
“I have personally talked to parents from as far as Grand Coteau,” Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza said. “They told me their kids come here all of the time.
“They were extremely complementary of the fact that we have such a nice facility for the kids in this area.”
The project is a result of a partnership between the city and the Abbeville Rotary Club, with each putting up around $20,000 to construct the first portion of the park. The Vermilion Parish Police Jury also put up funds for phase one.
“It has been everything we hoped that it would be,” Abbeville Rotarian Rob Roy said of the result. “I think it is one of the best things that has happened in a while, as far as giving back to the kids of this community. We have had many of the Rotary Club members come by and check it out.
“They have all been impressed.”
There will be more to check out in the coming months, as phase two of the project is set to begin in late February or early March.
“We are excited about this second phase,” Roy said. “We kind of had a vision for this. We just had to get the ball rolling.”
Roy, along with city officials, met Friday with William Emfinger, the man who will be handling the addition to the park.
“It should be ready for when the weather gets nice in the late spring,” Roy said.
Phase two will feature areas that will cater to beginner and intermediate riders. Phase one best handles skaters with more experience.
“Phase two is going to bring it to where it needs to be,” Roy said. “It is going to have something for everyone.”
Not long after phase two breaks ground, the Rotary Club will hold its third comedy night fundraiser on March 14. It is money raised from this event during the past two years that helped make the skate park possible. The club brought in the $20,000 for the first phase from the comedy night in 2013. Last year’s event generated $54,000.
“A good part of the money that we raised last year came from auctions items,” Roy said.
The biggest one was a coin-operated pony that used to sit in front of Frank’s Drive-in. The pony’s final price tag...$16,000.
“We thought it would maybe be around $2,000 to $3,000,” Roy said.
It was a lucky circumstance that brought the pony to the fundraising table.
“Mr. Gerald Ognibene called me and told me he had this horse,” Roy said. “He heard from word of mouth that we were looking for auction items. He asked if the pony was something we thought we could use for auction.
“We would have never fathomed that it would bring in as much as it did.”
Could there be another gem out there that could fetch a price no one would expect? The Rotary Club is eager to find out.
“We are looking for any person in Vermilion Parish who might be interested in donating something to help out with the cause,” Roy said. “There could be someone out there sitting on something unique.
“They could be sitting on something for years and this is a great opportunity to donate it to a good cause.”
Roy said anyone who thinks they have something that can fetch a few dollars, or more, can contact him at (337) 523-0551.
The results of donating are tangible as the skate board park is off to such a great start.
“You can see your money being spent well,” Roy said. “It’s going to the kids of the community.”