The City of Hattiesburg honored the memory of Hattiesburg resident who wanted a better life for wheelchair-bound individuals by dedicating the Hub City’s first charging station at the Town Square Park gazebo.
Mayor Toby Barkier told the story of how the city listened to a Facebook request.
Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker is flanked by state Rep. Missy McGee, left, and Ward 4 Councilwoman Mary Dryden.
“In March of this year, there was a post made on the city’s Facebook page about some upcoming event or one of the many things that we post about,” he said. “Sometimes you don’t know if someone makes a comment whether it’s going to be productive or we just don’t ever know what you’re gonna get. But there was one comment made by a young lady named Kaity Grenn. She expressed the need for the city to invest in some public charging stations for those individuals in motorized wheelchairs. We have a lot of parks in the city; that is one great thing about Hattiesburg.”
Green’s post also stressed the need for public charging stations and mentioned Town Square Park, where she often went to Live@Five. Barker said he thanked her and later turned the project over to a concerned group.
“They discovered the wheelchair charging stations are a way to serve our citizens who may have mobility impairments to take part in the city’s great amenities and events,” Barker said.
A grant from the Department of Rehabilitation Services will fund five charging stations, which can also be found at four additional city parks/facilities. Four facilities will be housed under the Hattiesburg Convention Commission.
“This ensures citizens with spinal cord injuries and other impairments have the ability to participate enjoy outdoor recreation areas,” Barker said. “Each station includes two types of chargers to assist the majority of different types of mobility scooters and wheelchairs. The station also includes two USB ports to use for charging phones.”
Kaity’s family – father, Jarvis Grenn; mother, Lee-Lee Roblyn, and husband, Brian Springer – unveiled the charging station.
“We were going to have these charging stations installed, and we wanted Kaity to be here to unveil them,” Barker said. “Sadly, Kaity Grenn was not able to see this project come to fruition as she passed away in July after the grant was approved.”