ABC News 4: Civic Action Exhibit Showcases Groups Making a Big Change

Posted in: Charleston News Press Coverage SC by Ryan on June 26, 2009 8:51 am |

Charleston, SC – The ‘Civic Action Exhibit’ showcases the work of about a dozen local groups giving a closer look at the what each one is doing to improve the charleston area.

“The idea of working with various groups that have their own mission or their own vision about how they want to change the city, it may not have to do with urban design, but its still about some of that civic pride and that civic activism that makes for a better community,” Micahel Maher said.

Pour It Now, a skateboard advocacy group is working with the City of Charleston to find a place to build a world class skate park that will give the 5,000 skateboarders in the Lowcountry a safe place to enjoy their sport.
“We want them to understand these kids are brilliant, theyre very creative, intelligent and very skilled, they just don’t have a place to exercise that,” Shannon Smith said.

And Louis Yuhasz of Louies Kids is working to find a solution to childhood obesity and hopes more people will get involved.

“There are 25 million children that are affected by obesity and were just doing our part here in the Lowcountry and trying to bring it to the nation, I think this gives us an opportunity to show people our success here and how were helping kids here climb mountains,” Yuhasz said.

From beautification projects to a push to make charleston more bike-friendly you’ll likely find a cause you care about, and for many it all starts with kids.

In addition to the exhibit, each group will also come in the evenings to answer questions about what each group does specifically to improve Charleston.

“We just developed a program here in Charleston an after school program so were really excited about that, and we have some new things coming up like run-buddies, where well essentially be doing the same thing within this program, but just one-on-one with different athlete mentors volunteers and kids.”

The exhibit opens Friday morning and runs through August 7. The exhibit is free and open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Civic Design Center located at 85 Calhoun Street Downtown.