On a chilly fall afternoon in 2022, Samantha Stromberg rolls up to the skate park — her usual escape — only to find the rails quiet and the bowls empty. The early evening shadows had already swallowed the setting sun.

As she stood there, board in hand, she had a thought that began a years-long mission to bring light to Port Townsend — to the park and for the community. On April 21, it all came to fruition as all corners of the community joined under the lights at Seamus Sims Skate Park to celebrate Samantha’s persistence and the city’s new chapter in recreation.

Stromberg first began skating in her first year of high school. When COVID shut down schools, she suddenly had time on her hands. Day after day, she returned to the skate park. The schools welcomed students back to campus when her sophomore year began. After class, she tried to return to the skate park, but evening sunlight is at a premium in the fall months.

“My skate park time got cut significantly down, and I couldn’t get down here as much as I wanted to. And it just made me start thinking about people who have to go to work and go to school,” Stromberg said. “In the fall and winter, by the time we get out, there’s no daylight. You can’t skate anymore.”

This thought was a catalyst for a movement, but it all started with a petition.

When she started it she tried to manage her expectations but the community responded quickly. She gathered 1,000 signatures almost immediately. As a busy high school student, she decided to put the idea on the back burner, but it remained on her mind.

When Stromberg returned to school for her senior year, she knew she had a senior project looming, and she decided that now was the time to make a difference.

By then, she had gathered over 2,000 signatures and was prepared to take her case to city hall. She considered the perceived history of skating as something “looked down upon” by Port Townsend’s older demographic and was concerned that her proposal might not gain traction. To her surprise, she was not met with resistance; she found support.

“I definitely was surprised, especially by the older generations in town being so for it. But I do feel that there aren’t many things for kids to do around here. We already have the skate park, and it’s just a really good way to utilize what we already have. I feel like a lot of people have opened their minds to it.”

Her next step was to start fundraising. She had planned to enjoy a gap year in Puerto Rico following graduation, but even as she left the mainland, she remained determined to make a difference at home. She created a GoFundMe page from her room in Puerto Rico to help fund the project into existence. She shared it across her social media, and the response was massive. 

“It went pretty quickly. A lot of people donated right off the bat. And then I got a $5,000 donation from an anonymous couple in town. And then Jefferson Community Foundation matched that $5,000,” she said. So, I got $10,000 from them all together. Super grateful to them. They’re awesome.”

Funding picked up quickly but momentum hit a snag. Stromberg met roadblocks in every direction. Much of the funding was held in a GoFundMe account, but when the fundraising website recognized the internet service providers address came from outside of the continental United States, it was flagged. Stromberg could not access the funds until she returned home.

After a year, she returned home discovering much work was still needed. When she initially proposed the lights, she received a rough estimate of around $20,000. However, when she returned, the refined estimate was upwards of $100,000.

“Once we saw the price going up — that’s when I noticed some resistance. And that was a little bit hard, but I just had to be annoying. I had to be a little mosquito in your ear the whole time,” she said.

Her persistence paid off, and even inspired those around her — including Ian Rose, a neighbor and friend.

Watching Stromberg work the process, he said, was powerful. “It was really cool, especially since we live next door to each other. So, yeah, it’s sweet to see someone that I know making a difference and getting us lights out here.”

When asked how often he will hang out at the park now that there are lights, Rose said, “Every single day… especially in the winter. It’ll give us an extra six hours of light.”

Samantha’s mother, Greta Stromberg, reflected on what she believes the lights represent beyond skating.

“I am just so happy for her,” she said. “This has given her so many opportunities and professional relationships for her future. It must feel so incredibly good to accomplish this. They could see her as a role model.”

Samantha added, “It’s like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders. I can finally go to sleep.”

She is in that sweet spot after high school, where the world is at her fingertips. She hasn’t committed to what she will do next but has not ruled out a future in community development.

“I’ve had some time, and I think I’m ready to start looking at colleges and something like that,” she said. “But, you know, I’d love to help out with skate parks for the rest of my life if I could.”

But for now, as lights shine down on Seamus Sims Park, her impact in Port Townsend is clear — every single time someone grabs a board after sundown.