Lil Wayne returned to his hometown on the eve of his 30th birthday to present a very special gift. The sports enthusiast was on hand to cut the ribbon at the Trukstop skatepark in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, one of the most devastated sections of the city after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Following the ceremony, Weezy hit the ramp for a one-hour skate demo with the Mountain Dew Pro and Amateur skate teams, including Paul Rodriguez and Theotis Beasley.

“I didn’t think that skating was too popular in my city, so I wanted to make it something that everybody loves like I do,” Wayne told The Associated Press. “I just wanted to help out my city, help out the people, the kids, and give them something to do, something they haven’t done before. It’s always good to learn something new.”

His passion for skating is more than just a hobby. “It’s a lifestyle. It’s not just something to do,” he said. “I thought it would be just a hobby and I thought only people with skill can do it. When you finally get into it and you learn to like it, you’ll quickly learn to love it and you find out that it’s a lifestyle.”

Tunechi took to Twitter later in the day to thank his fans for their birthday wishes. “Thank u all!!! For he’s a jolly good fellow that nobody kan deny,” he tweeted.

Photo credit: Shelby Holliday