Comic book convention to raise funds for new skateboard park
NAUGATUCK — It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Naugatuck’s first comic book convention!
The convention, called Naugy-Con, will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Congregational Church of Naugatuck on Division Street.
Naugy-Con will be put on by Naugatuck resident Troy Bond, Sr., who owns Troy Bond Entertainment.
“I am a local small business owner in town and an avid comic book fanatic. I’ve decided to put the two together and promote a local comic convention,” Bond said.
Bond said the event will feature vendors who will sell a variety of items, including comic books, memorabilia and collectables.
“It will be a good time and place if you are a collector, if you want to start learning to collect or to find things you can’t find at stores,” Bond said.
The event will also feature live entertainment. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children. People in costume receive a $1 discount.
The money collected at the show will go towards the creation of a new skateboard park in the borough.
Bond said he teamed up with Beautification Committee Chairwoman Linda Ramos to help raise funds for a new skateboard park because he wants to ensure kids have something they enjoy doing.
“I’m a martial arts instructor. I do what I can to keep kids off the streets. I think a skateboard park is a tremendous idea,” Bond said.
The borough already has a park for skateboarders at Linden Park but wants to move it to a more central and easily accessible location closer to the downtown area, Recreation Director Kim Eyre said.
Eyre said the new park will cost approximately $100,000.
“We really like the design of the Newtown skate park and would like to do a similar design in Naugatuck,” Eyre said.
Ramos said over $2,000 has already been raised for the park and she hopes to apply for a grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation that could cover up to $25,000.
“Skateboard parks are super expensive so, for fundraising, it may be a long road ahead, but there are always the chances that we may get some great donations,” Ramos said.
Bond said he expected a good turnout because there is more interest in comic books than there has been in the past.
“The days of being stigmatized as a nerd for being a comic collector are gone. If you’re a fan you can say, ‘Wow, these are my peers,’” Bond said. “People will want to come because comic books are one of the most major forms of entertainment and Naugatuck hasn’t done this before.”
