Heartfelt letter starts push to rename skatepark

Moving tribute to local lad Koby Mitchell initiates groundswell of support.

Koby Mitchell

 

ONE touching letter has begun a campaign to have the Coffs Harbour skate park renamed in honour of local lad Koby Mitchell.

In a stirring open letter to Council on behalf of the youth of Coffs Harbour, Charlotte Bennett-Hill describes how 19-year-old Koby - adored by the local community - had come to touch so many lives.

Mr Mitchell was reported missing last Friday from the ski village of Jindabyne in the state's south and after a three-day search his body was discovered by officers from the Monaro Police District.

"Koby was an amazing young man with so much potential," Ms Bennett-Hill said.

"Words cannot express the impact he had on so many around him, which is visible through the connections he made with all of us.

"It is not often you come across a heart so full of love, and we are absolutely devastated that we have lost him."

 

*I have written this letter to the general manager of the Coffs Council, as a request to get the name of the Coffs Skate...

Posted by Charlotte Bennett-Hill on Tuesday, 21 July 2020

Addressed to Coffs Harbour City Council general manager Steve McGrath, the letter describes how Koby - a "fanatical" skateboarder - spent every day at the park, "learning new tricks and helping all who was around him to do the same".

In light of his passion for the sport, Ms Bennett-Hill implored council to change the name of the park to the Koby Mitchell Memorial Skate Park.

"There is not a single person on this Earth who deserves this more, or has spent as much time there as he did," she said.

"By acting on this, many of Coffs Harbour's youth population will feel their grief somewhat lifted as most of us will be unable to attend his funeral, due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

"I can also assure you that this request is on the behalf of many people, who feel very strongly about this."

How Coffs Harbour skate park now shows up on google.

There was an incredible outpouring of support for the letter, with the original post being shared almost 300 times on social media.

Many people vowed to help petition council to ensure Ms Bennett-Hill's request was realised. Already someone had changed the name of the skatepark on Google Maps to the Koby Mitchell Memorial Skatepark.