54 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com way to honor my dad,” commented Russ in a TOMP news release. “He loved being outside, he loved being active and he loved building beautiful places, so this project is perfect.” According to the Kenny Mile Foundation website, after founding SeamonWhiteside with his partner Stuart Whiteside in 1985, Kenny participated in or oversaw the master planning and design of a significant portion of the properties that comprise Mount Pleasant. This encompassed “neighborhoods, shopping centers, hotels, offices, parks, sports fields, police and fire stations and town hall … you name it and Kenny had a hand in its design.” It goes on to say that “Kenny truly cared about improving the community, building wonderful places and connecting people.” “This tribute to Kenny Seamon is fitting in many ways, not the least of which is that it uses an existing utility easement to add outdoor recreation and aesthetics to our community and shows the power of public/private partnership to add to our quality of life,” said Mayor Will Haynie. “As was mentioned at the groundbreaking, Kenny’s influence can be seen all over Mount Pleasant, and the Kenny Mile will stand as a permanent tribute to that.” The public-private collaboration to which Haynie referred is with the aforementioned Kenny Mile Foundation, established in 2021, which works alongside the town to raise funds for the support, continued development and enhancement of the Mount Pleasant Way. It started as a way to achieve the same goals of improving the community, connecting people and getting people outside that meant so much to Kenny and continues his lasting impact of building wonderful spaces in Mount Pleasant that will benefit future generations. The Kenny Mile Trail will include more than 360 feet of boardwalk designed to preserve freshwater wetlands, marking the first boardwalk segment within the Mount Pleasant Way network. Additional amenities will include parklets with benches, water fountains, landscaping and educational features to enhance the trail-user experience. Conceptualized as one of the earliest segments of the Mount Pleasant Way, the Kenny Mile will expand the town’s growing network of multiuse paths, improve access to nearby businesses and recreation areas and offer new opportunities for residents to travel without relying on a vehicle. Construction on the Kenny Mile Trail is expected to be completed by the summer of 2027. For more information about the Kenny Mile Foundation, visit thekennymilefoundation.com. our town
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