Youth For Christ’s local Platform Skate Shop, which specialized in skateboard equipment, may be closed, but its owner Steve Hildebrand hopes to continue the opportunity to get kids engaged in the healthy activity of skateboarding.

Hildebrand and his family will be heading to Costa Rica in the fall to embark on a 10-month project for Youth For Christ’s skateboard program

Hildebrand, from Portage, who closed his Skate Board shop here in December, was approached by Youth For Christ members recently about working in Costa Rica.

“I have worked for Youth For Christ in Portage for 14 years,” he said. ‘As part of the skate program I have been doing in Portage, I started up a skateboard shop five years ago,” he said. “Last year while I was working at the shop, I had some visitors come in from Youth for Christ in Costa Rica. They talked about wanting to set up some skate board programs down there.”

As a result, Youth For Christ Portage decided to do a partnership with the Costa Rica YFC group to send Hildebrand and his family there for 10 months.

“I’m excited,” he said. “I’m still a little scared.”

He will be going to Costa Rica with his wife Bonnie, and their two children.

Hildebrand will be learning a little bit of Spanish during the trip also.

“Were hoping to leave in September,” he said.

Source: Herald Leader