Make a Mark on Charleston’s Parks with Your Own Bench
Parks play a role in so many special events – weddings, family reunions, baby’s first steps or a beloved pet’s final stroll. As a way to honor a loved one or mark a significant life event, the Charleston Parks Conservancy began a park bench dedication program.
Participate in the Conservancy’s new bench dedication program and dedicate a brand new or existing bench in a favorite city park. A commemorative bench dedication includes a custom bronze name and message plaque installed on the bench of your choice and bench maintenance for 15 years. All proceeds from this program benefit the Conservancy’s work to create stunning spaces in more than 25 Charleston city parks.
Demetre Homer and his sisters, Alexis Glover and Georgia Darby of Mount Pleasant, were among the first to dedicate a park bench at Colonial Lake to their mother. Christina Homer had lived on Rutledge Avenue for 20 years and in Harleston Village even longer. Over the years, she became a fixture as she walked her dachshunds around the lake twice a day. A bench at Colonial Lake was the perfect tribute to their mother.
And sometimes a bench is a tribute to a much-loved furry friend who touched so many. Last year, Lead Park Angel Sally Ann “Sam” MacLaughlin Olivier lost her beloved dog, Pippa. Her fellow Park Angels gathered donations to dedicate a bench in honor of Pippa and other Bark Angels.
“The bench was a total surprise,” Sam says. “I knew I loved Pippa. I did not realize so many others wanted to remember her. It shows the bond we develop with one another when we work together in the gardens.”
When she first saw the bench at her favorite Brittlebank Park, Sam says she was overwhelmed by her friends’ kindness.
The cost to dedicate an existing bench in iconic parks is $3,000 or $5,000 for new benches. Iconic parks currently are Charlotte Street Park, Colonial Lake, Gadsdenboro Park, Hampton Park and Northbridge Park. The cost to dedicate an existing bench in neighborhood parks is $1,500 or $3,000 for a new bench. Learn more about how you can make a lasting impact in your favorite Charleston park.