ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (NBC 26) -- Brian Schroeder died on Jan. 27 after a battle with cancer; four years after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
On Feb. 16, three weeks after his death at 39 years old, the annual Give BIG Green Bay fundraiser aims to benefit the Ashwaubenon skate park Schroeder founded in 2014.
"In order for that [the skate park] to keep going, it means so much to myself," Green Bay Action Sports Organization co-founder Mandy Schroeder said. "It means so much to my family and to the community at GBASO."
The event spans 24 hours, ending at noon on Feb. 17, and raises millions of dollars between nearly 40 different nonprofit organization around Northeast Wisconsin. This is the second year GBASO is chosen to take part.
"With the money, we're gonna be able to add some new stuff that'll make the park look nice and add on and make it more fun," GBASO skater Owen Woulf said. "[It will be even] more than what it is right now."
According to Mandy, Brian's wife, the nonprofit, indoor action sports building was created with the intent to provide children in the area with a safe place to skateboard, as well as other activities. She says her husband simply enjoyed skating, and when the couple had three boys, Brian wanted a place to show kids his skills. But the Green Bay area lacked facilities for him to do so.
"He was right there every single day," Mandy said. "He was at that park all day long, every day, helping to build it up."
Today, people of all ages ride the ramps of GBASO. In order to keep the lessons, camps and events going, the nonprofit uses Give BIG Green Bay as one of its top sources of funding.
"It’s really important for the park because the funds that are raised helps to keep the park going," Mandy said "Especially during Covid...that really hit GBASO... pretty hard."
GBASO is the only indoor action sports park north of Milwaukee. And the staff says without it, thousands of people would have no place to skate during the winter time.
"I'm just so thankful that there's an indoor facility here in Green Bay," GBASO member Adrien Eggener said.
So Brian created the park simply because he wanted to skate with the community. But Mandy says it meant a lot more to him.
"He loved what it stood for," she said. "It stood for... kids... when they fall down, they get back up and you just have that resilience and you function through fear."
Head over to the Give BIG Green Bay websiteto find a donation link for next week's fundraiser.
