December Park Angels of the Month: Roy Owen & Sue McClinton
December is the month of spreading joy and giving back to your community. That’s exactly what Roy Owen and Sue McClinton do in Charleston’s public parks, which is why they are December 2016’s Park Angels of the Month.
Throughout their lives, Roy and Sue have been park advocates, believing that well-designed, well-maintained public parks and spaces are what make communities thrive. Before moving to Charleston, Roy and Sue lived in New York City and spent most of their free time in Central Park. “Central Park is my favorite park/public space. I was in it multiple times a week–walking, looking at wildlife, enjoying the drummers and skaters and locals and tourists,” Sue mentioned. After moving to Charleston, they took it upon themselves to further their love of public parks by signing up to be Park Angel volunteers. Within months, Roy became a Garden in the Parks “regular” while Sue became a Lead Park Angel, saying she was “hooked from the beginning.”
The two continuously volunteered at Colonial Lake this past spring, helping tremendously with the project’s planting and re-opening. “It wasn’t hard to fall in love with working with the Park Angels,” Sue said about her decision to become a Lead Park Angel. “It is a dedicated, passionate group and with a group this good, it’s an honor to sign on as a lead.”
But for Roy and Sue, volunteering was just the start. They believe in the power of parks and support the ongoing efforts of the Charleston Parks Conservancy to connect people to their parks. This year, they both became Founding Members of The Perennials, the Conservancy’s annual giving society.
Thank you, Roy and Sue, for all you’ve done to help the Conservancy inspire the people of Charleston to connect with their parks and together create stunning public spaces and a strong community!