Clearlake >> Riders, skaters and basketball players joined together to celebrate Andrew Daniel Johnson on April 16 at Austin Park. Lake Community Pride Foundation hosted the 10th annual event featuring live bands such as The Lyricist, Root Rot and As All Else Fails complete with a basketball tournament.
Andy Johnson loved the skate park and was a charismatic individual who helped bridge the gap between the skaters and those riding BMX bikes, according to Bruno Sabatier. At the age of 18, Johnson was killed in a car crash while on his way to Oregon. The skate park was deteriorating and a committee was formed to renovate and create a skate- and bike-friendly park in honor of Johnson. Ten years later, Johnson is still honored even by those who never knew him.
“It makes me happy that after 10 years the spirit of young Andy Johnson continues to bring friends, family and the whole community together,” Ricky Bush said. “Every single Andy Day we have held has been nothing short of amazing and positive. Andy is looking down on us proud with all that we’ve done by memorializing Andy and naming the skate park in his honor and fought to get the ‘skate only’ skate park ‘bike friendly’ to honor his two passions: BMX and skateboarding.”
Andy Day was originally organized by Ken Savin and Michelle Bush and now organized by Bush and Sabatier. It is meant to celebrate the life of Johnson to showcase what his efforts have done for the youth and young adults who frequent the skate park, Sabatier said.
“Today was a great day where everyone was supportive of one another no matter what you were riding,” he said. “We added basketball this year, and the players came to the court with a certain level of respect for what we are celebrating. It’s really a community wide celebration, not just those who skate or ride.”
Andy Day is an event to inspire the youth and young adults to recognize that an individual in the community can make a difference, Sabatier said.
“All it takes is leadership, initiative, and persistence. With great friends like Bush, Johnson’s presence still affects our community in a positive way,” Sabatier said. “Ten years later, his efforts still brings the community together just as he brought the skaters and riders together in the past. With the park being renamed in 2008 as the Andy Johnson Memorial BMX Skate Park the community is not ready to forget a legend.”
