DPH, Lee County Council on Aging Partner to Create New Walking Track Signage Featuring Local Student Art

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 15, 2025

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) proudly partnered with the Lee County Council on Aging to create new signage consisting of artwork by local students at two newly renovated community walking tracks in Rembert and Bishopville.

Staff from DPH’s education program for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-Ed) section and the Lee County Council on Aging unveiled new signage at Springhill Community Center, 137 Shiver Pond Road, Rembert, on Thursday.  

"SNAP-Ed is about more than just nutrition education—it’s about supporting individuals to make lasting behavior changes" said Crystal Connor, a SNAP-Ed Registered Dietitian with DPH. "By working with Lee County seniors through a physical activity program, I saw firsthand their desire to stay active to play with their grandkids. It's heartwarming to see local schools and community work together to support this multi-year project. Our team hopes that Lee County residents are inspired to continue showing generations to come the artwork displayed on the walking track signs.”

To create the signage and encourage further community involvement in the project, DPH’s SNAP-Ed section and the Lee County Council on Aging organized an art contest for students at West Lee Elementary School and Lee Central Middle School. Students were invited to draw pictures that represented their favorite ways to stay active.  

The winning works of art were turned into story walks, with signage promoting both physical activity and acting as distance markers at both walking tracks.

"At the heart of this project is a deep commitment to blending what we know about policy, systems, and environmental change with the powerful curriculum our educators bring to life,” said Gale Housley, DPH Community Nutrition Enhancement Coordinator. “By grounding this work in the voices and strengths of the community itself, we're creating something truly unique, something that doesn't just teach but takes root, with the power to be lived and sustained for generations to come."  

Constructed in 2022 as part of a capital penny sales tax referendum, the playground and track at the Springhill Community Center is maintained by the Lee County Parks and Recreation Department.  

The Bishopville track was a part of a Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant. In 2023, funds were secured through a United States Department of Agriculture grant and the local legislative delegation to pave the track.

“To me, this project exemplifies the epitome of collaboration among community partners,” said Laurie Watkins, Executive Director of the Lee County Council on Aging. “One of our goals at the Lee County Council on Aging is a focus on intergenerationality, and this project is one of many we have implemented that allow a connection between generations. As a former educator, having spent many years in the Lee County School District, I am delighted to see this connectivity firsthand. Many thanks to the South Carolina Department of Public Health and Lee County Parks and Recreation Department, along with West Lee Elementary and Lee Central Middle schools, for their contributions that turned this idea into a reality.”

A ribbon cutting for the second story walk will follow at Lee County Council on Aging’s Bishopville Site, 51 Wilkinson Road Bishopville, on Tuesday, May 20 at 10 a.m.

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