I've been skating at Wilson Skatepark in Chicago, Illinois, since I was 9 years old, and in that time, it has become a second home for me. The community at Wilson is unlike any other skatepark I've been to before, and everyone is friendly and kind to each other. Every time I go to Wilson, I see a bunch of recurring park visitors who have now become good friends, and just like it is for me, Wilson is their second home. Just as I do, a lot of members come to skate the park after work as a way to calm down and relax; some skaters not arriving until 9 or 10 p.m.

During the fall, as the seasons change and daylight gets shorter, you will still see big groups of people at the skatepark after sundown, but there is one looming problem. Currently, at the skatepark, three-fourths of the lights that provide the necessary visibility for skaters are out, leaving most of the park unskateable as soon as night falls. The darkness that encompasses the skatepark restricts skaters from using some of the best spots in the park, as they risk injury from not being able to properly see where they're landing or going.

I am petitioning for the restoration of the lights at Wilson so that as nightfall comes earlier and earlier, the people who go to the skatepark after a long day are still able to skate. Over the past two years, other Wilson local skaters have asked for the lights to be fixed, yet still nothing has been done. I plan on bringing this petition and all of its signatures to Angela Clay, the alderwoman who presides over the 46th Ward, where Wilson Skatepark is located. Hopefully, if enough people sign, the ward will realize the importance of this easy fix and will do something about it.

If you could share the petition on social media for other Chicago skaters to see, that would be incredibly helpful, as each signature counts. If you have any questions about the process I am going to take in order to see this come to fruition, you can contact me on Instagram at @goolsbone.