Four young men build ice rink for Dunkirk community

Finding needs in the community and making a change.

That’s what the group Small Town Big minds is all about.

ALL NEW FOR YOUTHIS MORNING, ANUMBER OF USPROBABLYREMEMBER THEFIRST TIME WESTEPPED ONTO THEBASEBALL DIAMONDOR SOCCER FIELDAS A KIDS, AND ALOT OF USPROBABLY HAVEVERY FONDMEMORIES OFTHOSE LEAGUES.ONE GROUP OFWESTERN NEWYORKERS IS TRYINGTO CREATE THATEXPERIENCE FORTHE NEXTGENERATION OFWESTERN NEWYORKERS.OUR TAYLOR EPPSHAS MORE ONTHEIR BUFFALOSTRONG SPIRIT TOMAKE SOMEMEMORIES.DURING THEWINTER MONTHS,ALL JACKSON ANDASA WATTS WANTTO DOIS SKATE.BRYANT "SINCE THEWHOLE COVIDTHING WE'VE BEENKIND OFRESTRICTED." :05BUT NOW THANKSTO THESE FOURYOUNG MEN, THESETWO CAN SKATE ALLDAY LONG RIGHTHERE IN THEIRDUNKIRKNEIGHBORHOOD.CHRIS "INSTEAD OFWAITING FORSOMEONE ELSE TOCHANGE OURCOMMUNITY FORUS, WE STARTEDMAKING IT HAPPEN.":04FINDING NEEDS INTHE COMMUNITYAND MAKING ACHANGE..THAT'S WHAT THEGROUP SMALLTOWN BIG MINDS ISALL ABOUT..FOUNDED BY RAUL,CHRIS, AJ AND EVONTHE GROUP HOSTSA PODCAST ANDWORK ONPROJECTS TOIMPROVE THEIRHOMETOWN..AJ "WE LOVE ITBECAUSE WHEN WEWERE KIDS, WEDIDN'T HAVEANYTHING LIKETHIS, WE DIDN'THAVE ROLE MODELSLIKE US FOUR." :04THEIR FIRSTPROJECT AIMED ATCELEBRATINGDIVERSITY,CREATING THISMURAL AT THE OLDREGENT THEATRE..THEIR SECONDPROJECTIS ABOUT BRINGINGSOMETHING FUNFOR KIDS TO DODURING THEWINTER.RAUL " IN THISWARD HERE, WEHAVE A NICE BIGPARK HERE, BUT ITONLY HAS APLAYGROUND ANDIT WASN'T BEINGUTILIZED." :08SO THEY HOSTED AKICKBALLTOURNAMENT ANDSTARTED AGOFUNDME PAGETO RAISE MONEY..UNTIL THEY HADENOUGH TO BUILDIT FROM SCRATCHALL BYTHEMSELVES HEREON EAST TENNEYSTREET.CHRIS "AND WENEVER BUILT AN ICERINK BEFORE!TAYLOR: HOW LONGDID IT TAKE YOU?CHRIS: ABOUT 5-6DAYS.

RAUL: SOLIDWORK WEEK." :06BRYANT "WETHOUGHT IT WASAWESOME, WE CANCOME UP HERELITERALLY EVERYDAY AND JUSTSKATE, THAT'SWHAT THE KIDS LIKETO DO SO." :07STANDUP: ANDCLEARLY, IT'S A LOTOF FUN!

AND THEYSAY SEEING THEIRHARD WORK MAKEPEOPLE SMILE,WELL THAT'S THEBEST PART." :07AJ "YOU SEE THEKIDS HERE, THEYLOVE IT.

WHOKNOWS, THATMIGHT BE THE NEXTJACK EICHEL." :04RAUL "WE GET SOMUCH LOVE FROMTHE COMMUNITYFOR DOING THIS,BUT THEY DON'TREALIZE IT'S THEMTOO, THEY'RE A BIGREASON IT'SGETTING DONE." :06THEY HELP THECOMMUNITY ANDTHE COMMUNITYGIVES IT RIGHTBACK..FOR THEIR NEXTPROJECT THEY'REGETTING HELPFROM A FAMILIARFACE..7EWN BROUGHTYOU DJ KV BABY'SSTORY INDECEMBER..HE HELPED THISGROUP RAISE MORETHAN 100 DOLLARSDURING HIS LASTLIVE STREAM.THEY'LL USE THATMONEY TO STARTYOUTH PROGRAMSIN THE CITY.BRYANT "IT'S A BIGPICK ME UP,BECAUSE DUNKIRKGETS A BADREPUTATION." :06WHICH IS EXACTLYWHAT THESE FOURHOPE TO CHANGE.IN DUNKIRK, TEPPS,7EWN.