Weekend of events at four venues in memory of Lytham skater Ralph
A skating-themed weekend fund-raiser is to be held in memory of a young Lytham man who died suddenly earlier this year.
The Live Like Ralph Weekender will celebrate the life of talented skateboarder and artist Ralph Roberts with skate competitions, art, music and family fun.
The event is being held across four locations, Lytham' s Park View 4U, close to where he grew up and where he first started skating, the Plant Skatepark and Dirty Blondes Skate Bar and Nightclub in Blackpool and Moor Park, Preston, where he also enjoyed skating.
The celebrations are in Lytham and Blackpool on Saturday, September 4 and Preston the following day and will include skate competitions, music, art and a family fun day.
It was only after his shock death that it was discovered he had sarcoidosis, a rare throat condition which resulted in breathing complications.
The breathing problems caused Ralph to book a Covid-19 test and immediately isolate until the result was known, but it came back negative, only for him to die from what a post-mortem examination revealed to be sarcoidosis shortly afterwards.
His parents Neil and Fiona Bayntun-Roberts said he was renowned among family and friends for his smile and how much he cared about others.
They launched a JustGiving appeal to raise money to help others in Ralph’s memory and last month, a graffiti weekender was held at Park View 4U to give the skate park there a distinctive revamp in his memory, including images of Ralph and the motto 'Live Like Ralph'.
Neil and Fiona are now hoping the tribute weekend attracts a bumper turnout. Neil said: “This weekender is a positive celebration of Ralph’s life and incorporates the themes that were important for him with skate competitions, music and art.".
The Park View 4U family day event will run from 10:30am to 5pm on September 4 and include skate competitions, skate lessons for children,
an exhibition of Ralph’s artwork, other contributions and memorial room/book, with tribute to Ralph.
From 5.30 to 8pm that evening at the Plant indoor skatepark off Squires Gate Lane, Blackpool, there will be a skate competition, bar and music, while from 8.30pm, Dirty Blondes in Back Church Street, Blackpool, will host music and celebration of Ralph, with food and drink.
The Sunday event at Moor Park Preston will run from noon to 6pm and and include a skate competition, live music, a barbecue and more tributes to Ralph.
In Ralph's memory, the Live Like Ralph aims to help build and repair skate parks, provide skate equipment to underprivileged kids, encourage more females to skate with confidence and support creatives
More details at www.livelikeralph.com
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