HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – A large crowd of eager community members came out to the Hopkinsville Skate Park on Saturday to make their mark by painting a mural during the Paint and Skate event.
Hosted by local non-profit organization Dad’s House Inc. in conjunction with the Christian County Military Affairs Committee and Hopkinsville Parks and Recreation, it is the first event of its kind, with hopes to revitalize the park that had been left graffitied.
Engaging with youth during event
“This event is really about giving back to the community,” said Shannon Lane, Director of Military Affairs for Southwest Kentucky. Lane said Pride wanted to get involved with the community in an artistic way. Pride, who is from Clarksville, moved his business to Hopkinsville and wanted to get kids involved in an activity that helps them express themselves creatively.
Dad’s House Inc. is focused on business incubation and business youth development via concrete restoration, as he works with the company Wicked Kolors, who provided the paint materials for this project.
“My intention is that this event inspires youth to be creative and to make Hopkinsville a better place and keep it that way,” Pride said. This event is only phase one of the project, and more phases are to come in the future to revitalize the park with the hopes of continuing the event every year. The paint will be sealed after the event to preserve the artwork created.
Hopkinsville Mayor James R. Knight Jr and Hopkinsville Parks and Recreation Superintendent Toby Hudson weighed in on some of the positive aspects this event can bring to the community. Hudson added that this event brings the community together and that is ultimately the mission of Parks and Rec.
“This event is a great way to bring the community of Christian County and Fort Campbell together to make it better,” Knight told Christian County Now.
Importance of supporting the arts
“Our goal is to give long term success to kids that don’t have opportunities,” Pride said. “We have a diverse support network within our organization, and we are focused on troubled youth and reduction of recidivism.”
Pride said he has been an artist his whole life and it has helped him in more ways than anything else. “Painting and being artistic got me through hard times when I was younger and as an adult,” he said. “It’s an outlet and I think in today’s day and age, we have a lot of kids that come from broken homes, but they’re not bad kids. They just feel alone.”
He added that with a lot of kids being more focused on technology, they’re not getting that community drive and he and his team are focused on trying to drive that community-based outlook for local youth.
“A lot of the vandalism we see is just kids trying to express themselves, but this is a constructive outlet to be artistic,” Lane added. “Isaiah’s vision to be a mentor and guide youth to put that energy on display in a way that is tasteful and gives back to the community is amazing.”
To learn more about Dad’s House Inc., visit their website at dadshouseinc.com and follow the organization on Facebook.
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