Save the date for SFM Skatepark's groundbreaking event
April marked the one year anniversary of the passing of 18-year-old Rome native Stone Mercurio.
Within a week of his passing, friends and family formed a brigade committed to building a free, accessible skatepark at Bellamy Harbor.
Months later, they surpassed the million-dollar mark — raising $1,069,00 in donations.
Located along the Erie Canal the property lacks bedrock until 68 feet below the surface, making the project what Stone’s father, Christian Mercurio, deemed a “tricky brownfield site.”
While the project has faced its fair share of setbacks after a recent redesign, remaining loose ends were tied.
On May 23 a public event will be held — sponsored by Copper City Brewing and the City of Rome — to commemorate the SFM Skatepark groundbreaking.
“I know for a fact that we’ve changed lives and we haven’t put a shovel in the ground yet,” Christian said at the 2024 Mohawk Valley Brownfields Summit. “Fundamentally, as parents, all we want is to see our kids challenging themselves, supporting others, and smiling. This habitat will encourage all of that.”
Christian noted that suicide is the leading cause of death in teenagers. “Clearly something is going on; the youth in our community decided to step up,” he said, referencing Stone’s friends who took it upon themselves to organize a series of fundraisers.
A lesson in civic engagement
As stated by Christian, the most important part of grassroots mobilization is garnering support from across the community, “from the youngest skateboarder to the oldest city councilman.”
The brigade has swarmed city council chambers each month, for over a year.
During that time, Stone’s friends spearheaded fundraising efforts. In doing so they managed to raise $190,000 selling tee shirts and stickers alone.
Last July 19-year-old Tanner Brawdy organized a spikeball tournament gathering over 50 regional teams.
“All I did was print merchandise,” recalled Christian. “Other than that, I didn’t lift a finger. In one day we raised $10,000. That was the start of it all. Once these kids saw what they could do they took off running.”
Speaking with the friend group they shared that the SFM events have been inspired by hobbies Stone once loved: skateboarding, snowboarding, bowling and spikeball.
In March, the crew hosted its first rail jam at Woods Valley Ski Resort raising $5,000. Over 60 small businesses sponsored and supported the event.
“Every event we’ve had is organized by youth for the youth, to stop the stigma,” Christian stressed. “We’ve made a point to shed light on mental health and suicide prevention. We want kids to know that we’re here for them and soon there will be a place they can go, in their town, where they feel safe and wanted.”
For much of the friend group attending the common council meetings was a first, let alone participating.
“The whole process has been completely bipartisan,” said Christian. “This is the future of democracy: youth engagement. These kids worked for this achievement; they volunteered day in and day out. In doing so they learned a huge lesson — they received precious resources as a result of hard work and a shared vision.”
Rome Mayor Lanigan expressed excitement for the initiative to further develop.
“This endeavor is not only about constructing a state-of-the-art recreational facility, it signifies our commitment to promoting tourism, fostering recreation, and raising awareness about mental health,” said Lanigan. “On behalf of the vity of Rome, I want to extend thanks to all those involved. And a special thank you to the Mercurio family and all of the kids who spent countless hours organizing fundraisers and planning a phenomenal community project.”
Richie Artigiani said he’s found the journey to be “truly fulfilling.”
“There’s still work to be done but there’s zero doubt in my mind that our efforts won’t relent,” said Artigiani. “It blows my mind, in the worst way, that it's been over a year since Stone left us. We hope this park will serve as a relic worthy of his legacy.”
Hayden McMonagle agreed, crediting Christian and Stone’s mother, Andrea Mercurio, for their strength along the way.
“They’ve been to every fundraiser … every meeting,” underscored McMonagle. “It’s been a long road but it feels great to see everything start to pay off. This whole time we’ve been having fun hanging with friends and making new ones too. Most importantly we’ve been spreading love, remembering how amazing Stone was and the impact he’s left behind.”
Site redesign
In March Christian got a call from the projects’ geotechnical engineer estimating site improvements to cost $400,000.
He recalled his heart dropping, wondering how to tell the crew that most of the money they raised would go underground.
The solution? Heading back to the drawing board: Redesign.
“The project went from a monolithic skatepark to a skate campus,” said Cristian. “It’s no longer interconnected; there are different areas for different users.”
Several features were maintained from the original proposal, including the pump track, stairs rails and recreational space for youth programming.
The biggest change was the omission of the bowl.
“It’s the most crackable feature, given the bedrock, so it’d be the most costly to develop,” explained Christian. “Down the road we still plan to tackle it. But for now, the kids can use their imaginations – it’d be a great hill to roll or snowboard down, depending on the season.”
Each section stands alone and will be addressed in different phases of development.
Phase one, this summer, includes the pump track. Later this fall the skatepark will gain additional ramps.
“It’s better than the original plan,” figured Christian. “It's more skateable and handicapped accessible. Plus it’s laid out like an amphitheater with room for food trucks to pull up.”
Groundbreaking event
The groundbreaking, like everything else, came together organically, Christian said.
Since 2021, Copper City Brewery has organized an outdoor concert series each summer. The company was thinking of hosting an event at the Navigation Center, the future project side; collaboration seemed like “an easy choice.”
The event is more of a celebration — a “soft groundbreaking” — given that shovels won’t hit the ground until later June.
“We’ll put on a concert, have some fun, and talk about the SFM project,” said Christian. “If people want to donate that’s great, but it's meant to just be a fun event for the community.”
The lead performance features a jam band from Watertown: Annie and the Water. The brigade will set up a few ramps on the road for skaters and provide sidewalk chalk for younger children.
Master brewer at Copper City Brewing, Eric Daniels, used to own a skate shop in Rome.
“Craft beer and skating are an easy collab,” said Daniels. “Not at the same time, but they’re two very enjoyable pastimes for those adventurous and willing to try new things. There’s also the post-skate/ride beer that creates a relaxed atmosphere to reflect on the day, improve for tomorrow and build a camaraderie with those who also love the sport.”
Danny Friedman, co owner of the company, agreed.
“The emotions will be out of this world as we celebrate life and transform our city,” said Friedman. “There will be nothing boring at this event.”
When asked what he admired about the SFM project, Friedman was quick to answer: tenacity.
“Like a skater who won’t stop until they land the trick, the brigade won’t stop until there’s a skatepark,” he laughed.
A sneak peek
Before Annie and the Water, the opening act features vocals by McMonagle and Artigiani on the drums.
“Our lineup will be a good amount of original music — folk rock kinda stuff — and some classic covers to get people movin',” said McMonagle.
Artigiani hinted that some songs would be pulled from albums by Dave Matthews Band, The Strokes, and Black Crowes. The vibe? Just pure fun, he emphasized.
“We’ve been in touch with some other local musicians about playing with us,” added Artigiani. “The only song we’ll definitely play is one Hayden and I wrote called 'Stone.'”
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: How one skatepark is leading the way in mental health advocacy
