By Mike Kinney
Soulful Softball Sunday is inviting the community to a 1980s roller-skate party at Lucretia Edwards Park in Marina Bay on Sunday, May 2.
The “skating experience” will begin at 3 p.m. and participants are encouraged to dress for up in their 1980s-themed attire, although that is not required to participate, according to Rodney Alamo Brown, founder of Soulful Softball Sunday, which holds various community events throughout the year, including a popular annual community gathering featuring softball and soul food at Nicholl Park.
Brown says the skate party will follow COVID-19 safety guidelines, such as mask-wearing at all times, and aims to promote health, wellness and joy at a time when they are greatly needed.
The event is a follow-up to a skate-party successfully held a few weeks ago at Miller-Knox Regional Park in Point Richmond.
“Everyone had a terrific time, it was the first time in 14 months that we’ve done anything so it was great to see familiar faces in attendance,” Brown said.
The skating experiences “can help reduce stress, depression, anxiety and other symptoms” that resulted from pandemic stay-at-home orders,” Brown added.
Sunday’s event will feature a catered meal including fried red snapper fish, kale greens, Louisiana-style dirty rice and a dinner roll, raffled gift cards as well as a roundtrip airline ticket to Las Vegas. Each attendee will also receive Mardi Gras beads.
“Growing up in Richmond, I would often attended the skating rink in El Sobrante,” Brown said. “I had a unique idea to return back to the past and reincarnate the scene. Despite the rink not being in El Sobrante anymore, it doesn’t mean we can’t relive the glory days.”
