Page 8 - FUNDACION LOTTO PA DEPORTE

A14 LOCAL
Thursday 11 January 2018
‘Father’ of Parke Curason: George Forbes
George Forbes.
By Linda Reijnders
JABURIBARI - For years Face of the Place
I have been practicing You have people that just
sports at the actual only do their job and there are
real sport park of Aruba. people that make a differ-
Parke Curason at Jaburi- ence in the way they do
bari is a fenced park with their job. Forbes makes a
covered basketball court, difference when you visit
football field, BMX racing Parke Curason. He greets
track, skateboard park, visitors, walks around to
workout stations, kid’s play take off helping a kid pump
garden and a paved walk- his football or pointing out
ing/running/biking path of a bump in the runway to
750 meter. It is located in a jogger. He even is con-
the neighborhood Jaburi- cerned with the cars that
bari and is a popular spot enter and directs them to
for locals. If you would like an available parking spot.
to ‘meet the locals’, join in He is to most people of
on some basketball games the park ‘the face of the
and sniff some ‘couleure place’ and many times we
local’, this is the place. But, forget to thank people like
for me, the extra cherry on him to stand out like this.
the pie is the dedication of
the ‘father’ of the park to his 150 daily visitors
job: George Forbes. Aruba Today had a little
BMX-ers with Daniel Tromp (right).
chat with Forbes. “I work BMX training spot
here since 13 years and Jaymer Carolina, BMX-er,
I love everything about confirms the importance of
my job. I am supervisor the park to his sport: “The
and security. The people park is my training field. I
come here every day and train here 6 times a week
the connection with them from 5 to 7pm.” His club is
makes me happy.” called Rough Riders Aruba
He explains that for a day where he rides in the 17-24
the park gets about 150 age category. “But next
visitors. “That is the aver- season I am planning to
age, it can be more in the race elite, the pros. It’s all
weekend.” All nations and about adrenaline, speed,
all ages are represented, style and also trying to work
indeed a multicultural all- your way up to the first
generation park. place.” Not only is the park
The park he believes ex- a home to BMX groups,
ists 14 years now, so he also basketball teams, foot-
was here from almost the ball groups, skateboard fa-
beginning. “The park at natics, little children, bikers,
that time looked amazing, runners and walkers find
everything was new and their way. And after all it is
in good shape. More and also a social gathering spot.
more people are coming Like Daniel Tromp says: “This
now, the Aruban people park allows me to practice
BMX group Rough Riders Aruba with Jaymer Carolina (left).
love sports more now and my sports, BMX, and there-
that is good. Comparing to fore I can race abroad. But
the past it got better, that this is also where I meet my
is why we need to focus friends. The park is in high
on maintaining the park”, need of maintenance and I
George explains. He likes to hope this will be done soon
do sports himself, and he is and the government takes
always walking around to her responsibility in this.” This
help young and old. opinion is shared by Sharit-
“I am not somebody that za Henriquez who likes to
sits in a corner making my walk in the park. “There is a
money. There are a lot of lot of lacked maintenance
things we need to take like the workout stations.”
care of to prevent ac- For George this is nothing
cidents.” For George, his new, he sees his park ev-
goal is to continue making ery day and is concerned
the people happy and see about the state of it. “I
the park fixed up. welcome more and more
“I hope that the promised people every time which is
maintenance will come to positive, but we need to fix
reality very soon. It is very things.”
important as this park has a Parke Curason is open dai-
crucial role.” ly from 5am – 8:45pm.q