SK8 Nelson Skate Park

In 2008, Tim Gorman founded SK8 Nelson and launched a campaign to build a skate park in Nelson County. By 2009, thanks to a lot of private donations and volunteer labor, construction began on the original halfpipe here at RVCC. The SK8 Nelson skate park officially opened on September 5, 2009.

In 2022, RVCC completed its largest fundraising campaign in the history of the organization and raised over $160,000 to relocate, rebuild, and expand the SK8 Nelson skate park. With the help of generous donors, including the Sahm Family Foundation, the Perry Foundation, the Schaeneman Foundation, and the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, and countless hours of volunteer labor, the project was completed in October of 2022. Our skate park now boasts 8500sf of paved skating area, and a 1500sf half-pipe with three levels for all those ranging from beginner to advanced skaters.

The skate park is perhaps the best-loved and most-used feature of our recreational facilities, and regularly hosts children and adults alike. As Nelson County’s only skate park, we feel it is worth keeping–and should continue to be free to use–but we need help to shoulder the cost of insuring and maintaining it. The presence of the Skate Park adds an additional $4600 to our annual liability insurance premium.

If you can help, click here!

 

The James M. Cowley Community Playground: Building a Community of Kids!

In April of 2024, we completed the installation of the new James M. Cowley Community Playground. Thanks to the efforts of Candy Baker Dowell leading the playground committee through the design and fundraising process, the playground became a reality faster than we ever could have imagined! Huge thanks go out to Tectonics Builders, Creation Appreciation Landscaping, and the countless volunteers who helped with the installation and mulch-spreading. The new playground was made possible thanks to generous donations from the Sahm Family foundation, the Perry foundation, the Schaeneman foundation, the Dunlop family, the BamaWorks fund of the Dave Matthews Band, the Nelson County Community Fund, the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, and donations of over $35,000 from our local community!

On the Move
RVCC’s 10 acres of outdoor space also include:

  • a basketball court;
  • a 1/3 mile paved path encircling our grounds for walking, running, skating, scooters, biking, and more;
  • an outdoor Thrive fitness station;
  • open field space for soccer, lacrosse, and other sports;
  • a walking trail along Mallory Creek, with benches and picnic areas;
  • The Mallory Creek Native Plant & Wildflower garden;
  • a large pavilion and outdoor event space.

Dogs are welcome! Please be sure to clean up after your furry friend, and all pets must be on a leash or on immediate voice recall.