A group trying to raise money to build a skateboarding park in Mount Airy is taking its effort countywide.

Public meetings are scheduled in both Pilot Mountain and Elkin in the coming days in an effort to gain support throughout Surry, according to Kathy Bentley, coordinator for Skate Mount Airy Inc.

The non-profit group is heading an effort to build a $100,000 skate plaza at the city-owned Riverside Park. So far, it has raised about $45,000 thanks to a series of “skate days” and other fund-raising activities last year.

With winter putting such events on hold and the economy hampering the campaign in general, Skate Mount Airy is reaching out to other areas of the county.

To help spread the word, a meeting is planned Sunday at Armfield Civic and Recreation Center in Pilot Mountain from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Another is set for Monday from 7 to 8 p.m. at Elkin Recreation Center.

Both meetings are open to the public. The format will be the same at each, with organizers seeking to raise awareness about the project, explain their mission and outline where it is going from here.

“A lot of the kids that have attended those fund-raisers have come from outside Mount Airy,” said Bentley, one of about a dozen people spearheading the effort. Some skaters also have attended from other counties, such as Stokes.

“These kids come out of the woodwork,” the coordinator said.

Bentley said Wednesday that while she believes the project has the support of youths from around Surry County, their parents should be made aware of the need for additional contributions to push it over the top.

Although the facility would be located in Mount Airy, she is confident youths from Elkin and other far-reaching areas of the county would make use of the city skate park. “I do because those kids travel all over North Carolina to skate.”

Skateboarders tend to be a communal group, as evidenced by the large crowds who gathered for “Skate Day” activities last year. No matter how crowded they became, a laid-back, courteous atmosphere seemed to prevail as teens plied their skills on skateboards.

“It is not a competitive sport,” Bentley said, pointing out that it can be considered “self-competitive.”

“They’re not selfish people.”

Bentley thinks the money-raising goal already would have been achieved had the economy not turned sour. “That’s been our problem, really,” she said. The group originally set a target date of early 2009 for having the necessary funding in hand.

The coordinator added Wednesday that organizers are continuing to explore skate park designs with contractors and others.

When completed, plans call for the skateboard plaza to be turned over to the city, which will maintain the facility.

Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.