PAL: Play Advocate Live Well

Join us in celebrating Laura Ringo's 19th anniversary at PAL!

We feel incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated, passionate, and thoughtful Executive Director leading our team. Laura's commitment to creating a healthier, more connected Spartanburg is unwavering, and she never shies away from a challenge.

Cheers to 19 more years?! 😉🥳

Want to learn new culinary skills to incorporate more fruits and veggies on your dinner plate? Join us for our next FREE 4-part virtual cooking up confidence series!

To participate, you must either purchase a FoodShare box or the ingredients needed for the class. Each week, we will cook a new recipe utilizing one or more ingredients from the FoodShare boxes and discussing a new skill. We will also cover tips for eating healthier and staying on a budget.

Once registered for the class, you'll receive all the details on ordering FoodShare and alternative options.

You can sign up now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cooking-up-confidence-skills-for-the-everyday-kitchen-septoct-series-tickets-1000311016177?aff=oddtdtcreator

The loving and passionate Wanda Cheeks-Holmes is rolling off the PAL Board this year. We are incredibly grateful for her authenticity and commitment to bettering our community and creating opportunities for children here in Spartanburg.

For her highlight, Wanda wanted to pass on some inspiration for creating positive change:

"Passion + work + education = Positive results! All my life, I have wondered how some people get a chance to make a difference. I’ve learned that it’s up to us to do things differently. It matters what we choose to pay attention to. Some people choose to ignore things that are difficult. Just because it’s always been done that way is not acceptable! If we want change, then we need to change first! Then watch the world change around us!"

Thank you, Wanda! We are so lucky to call you a PAL!

The most fun we've had at a ribbon cutting in quite some time! Seriously—can anyone frown while kayaking on Duncan Park Lake? (These photos say no… 😃)

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us last night to celebrate this big win for Duncan Park and our community.

We're so grateful for our partnerships with The City of Spartanburg and Friends of Duncan Park that made accomplishing this milestone possible.

Happy paddling, PALs!

TONIGHT - Join your PALs and the City of Spartanburg, SC to cut the ribbon on the new Duncan Park Lake Dock!

🚣 Enjoy free kayaking at Duncan Park Lake with the City from 12:30 PM - 7:30 PM (bring your ID).

🎀 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 5:30 PM: Featuring your PALs, Mayor Jerome Rice, and City Council!

We can't wait to see you soon to celebrate these exciting additions to Duncan Park!

Give your rider the chance to be a pro at this year's Jump Jam on October 6th!

No pedals? No problem! From balance bikes to pros, we've got a category for every rider!

Kids 12 & under compete for free! 🔥 Register your rider at https://www.palspartanburg.org/jumpjam

Join your PALs and the City of Spartanburg, SC to cut the ribbon on the new Duncan Park Lake Dock next Tuesday, August 27th!

🚣 Enjoy free kayaking with the City from 12:30 PM - 7:30 PM (bring your ID).

🎀 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 5:30 PM: Featuring your PALs, Mayor Jerome Rice, and City Council!

More exciting news? The City is giving away a kayak & fishing package!

To enter:
1.) Visit the dock and scan the QR code on the Duncan Park Lake Rules sign (left of the dock) by 9:00 PM on Sunday, August 25th.

2.) Fill Out the Entry Form – one entry per person per package.

Winners will be randomly selected on Monday, August 26th, and can pick up their prize at the ribbon cutting on Tuesday, August 27th! 🛶

Save the Date for the PAL Party of the Season! 🤠

Join us for our annual PAL Giving Week celebration featuring farm-fresh tapas, yummy mixed drinks, live music, and kid’s activities.

We’ll celebrate all that you have made possible so far, look forward to upcoming projects, and spotlight our fabulous Food Hub farmers.

This is the perfect opportunity to raise funds for the ambitious goals laid out in our new strategic plan (coming soon). Your support is helping to build a healthy, connected community for all!

Dust off your cowboy boots and bring the whole family for an evening of fun with your PALs!

Apple season is right around the corner and we are excited to highlight the farm that will be supplying the PAL Food Hub with apples this season! 🍎🍏

TK Family Farms, located in Polk County, is run by husband-and-wife duo Jon and Brittany Klimstra. The farm is named after their children, whom they lovingly call the 'Three Knuckleheads'.

We had the opportunity to tour their farm recently and can attest to the deliciousness of these locally grown apples! We can't wait for you all to try them soon.

We couldn’t have asked for a better turnout for last night’s presentation on the Saluda Grade Trail at the beautiful Gramling Methodist Church!

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us to learn more about the project and share their excitement for the future trail. If you missed the presentation, don’t worry— we will continue to engage the community every step of the way.

We can't wait to build a trail that serves everyone in our community. It's going to be quite a lovely place to be!

Join us TONIGHT at Gramling Methodist Church to learn about the Saluda Grade Trail!

The results of a year-long engineering and economic impact study are in, and we're excited to share them with you!

You'll learn about:
•Community input: goals and concerns
•The rail-to-trail development process
•Current conditions of the trail corridor and bridges
•Engineering team's trail design and safety recommendations
•Projected economic impacts on the region

We hope to see you soon in Inman!

Debbie had a field day on the River Birch Trail! ⛈️

The awesome team at the is hard at work cleaning up the mess she made - so the trail is closed until 2pm today.

To explore other trails of The Dan, check out our new interactive map: www.palspartanburg.org/the-dan

Have you tried out the new kayak rental kiosk at Duncan Park Lake yet?

"Could downtown Spartanburg eventually be connected by trails to Drayton Mills? Clifton Beach? What about North Carolina?"

Read on to discover what the next few years have in store for trail development in Spartanburg County and beyond!

Spartanburg's trail system could grow by 20 miles in 4 years. Here's where. Spartanburg is getting 20 miles of new trails added to its Daniel Morgan Trail System in the next four years. And the Saluda Grade Rail Trail is now under contract.

A new month means new local goodies from the PAL Food Hub!

Check out all of the nutritious (and delicious) food you can purchase from the PAL Food Hub in August.

To place your order:
🌱 Visit www.palspartanburg.org/individual-customers-
🌱 Register as a customer
🌱 Place your order online

Order Schedule:
🌱 Orders can be placed each week from Thursday at 8am-Sunday until 12pm
🌱 Pick up your goodies at the PAL office the following Thursday

We are thrilled to announce that the Saluda Grade Trails Conservancy is officially under contract to purchase the 31-mile rail corridor from Norfolk Southern for the proposed Saluda Grade Trail.

The planned Saluda Grade Trail will pass through the picturesque towns of Inman, Campobello, Landrum, Tryon, Saluda, and Zirconia, offering a beautiful natural setting for walking, running, biking, and more.

Join us for a public presentation to learn more about the project on Tuesday, August 13th, at Gramling Methodist Church from 6-7pm.

We can't wait to bring this stunning trail to life for our community!

On your mark… Get set… JUMP JAM! 🔥

Join us at the 4th Annual Jump Jam, presented by Carolina Orthopaedic & Neurosurgical Associates! 🩺

From balance bikes to advanced riders, there is a competition for every rider! Kids 12 & under ride for free. 🚲

Register your riders today: https://www.palspartanburg.org/jumpjam

Join us for our next IN-PERSON Cooking Up Confidence series! Only $10 to reserve your seat: https://www.palspartanburg.org/cooking-up-confidence 🍳🥗

Learn to eat better at home with new culinary skills, nutritional information, budget cooking tips, and more!

We hope to see you on August 6th and 13th!

We are so excited to announce Leith McLeod as our new Trails Project Manager! While he's been working with PAL for years, we now get to have him around all the time!

Here's what Leith had to say about his new role:

"Hi All, I’m Leith McLeod and lucky enough to be working alongside the rest of the PAL team - specifically helping with the bike park and trail development in Spartanburg County. I hail from Canada originally, but I have been able to call Spartanburg home for nearly 5 years. My family and I have really enjoyed peeling back the layers of what Spartanburg is all about and has to offer, and working alongside PAL is an opportunity to help give something back to the community that has already been so good to us.

Looking forward to continuing to get more of the county and the people in it, connected by trails - they can be such a positive addition to the make-up of a neighborhood and community. Plus, biking has long been a passion of mine - so keeping the bike park a fun and ever evolving space for Spartanburgers and visitors alike to catch some air and enjoy the world on two wheels is a mission I’m grateful to play a role in. Speaking of – don’t miss our 4th annual Jump Jam - this October!"

We're so lucky to call Leith a PAL! Swipe to see him repping the organization mid-air. We know... Super cool. 🔥

Not only does our Criterium Bike Race support the work we do at PAL, but it also gives a big boost to Spartanburg's economy!

Here's what Billy Dunlap, Chief Tourism Development Officer at OneSpartanburg, Inc., had to say about the event's impact:

"The CRIT is a big tailgate, and it's a great event for networking, fellowship, and entertainment," Dunlap said. "At OneSpartanburg, we use it as an opportunity to bring in customers and clients. But it also brings in thousands of people from Spartanburg County and throughout the region.

"For one day, Spartanburg is a destination for the cycling community."

Click the link to learn more!

PAL's fabulous Saluda Grade Trails Conservancy liaison, Michael Forrester, is rolling off the PAL Board this year. We are incredibly grateful for his steadfast support and passion for connecting the community to healthier lifestyles on the trails!

When asked what serving on the PAL Board has meant to him, Michael said:

"My time on the PAL board has been some of the most enjoyable and impactful service I have been a part of. Every PAL team member and Board member has a heart for Spartanburg. To serve with these individuals has been an honor. The community partners I have been able to interact with during my tenure have been amazing. They care for our community and the mission of PAL. At the heart of it all is to say that being a part of PAL not only means providing pathways of healthy initiatives for others, it also means having a lifetime impact on the health and lifestyle of your community. That is why I loved serving."

Thank you, Michael! We are so lucky to call you a PAL!

Today we're celebrating 150 cantaloupes being donated to 95 families in our community! We've heard back that these fresh melons from the PAL Food Hub, grown by LushAcres Farm and Market, were sweet and deeee-licious! 🍈✨

A huge thank you to our Food Hub Customers and grant funding from First Presbyterian Church Spartanburg for making these donations possible! And another big thank you to Spartanburg County First Steps Early Head Start for getting the produce to their families!

We're passionate about strengthening the local food system here in Spartanburg so that everyone has access to local, healthy produce. Sign up for the PAL Food Hub today to nourish your family and support families in need in our community. https://www.palspartanburg.org/individual-customers-

Join us on August 13th at Gramling United Methodist Church to learn about the Saluda Grade Trail! The results of a year-long engineering and economic impact study are in, and we're excited to share them with you!

You'll learn about:
•Community input: goals and concerns
•The rail-to-trail development process
•Current conditions of the trail corridor and bridges
•Engineering team's trail design and safety recommendations
•Projected economic impacts on the region

We hope to see you soon in Inman!

Want to get that muscle pump in this weekend? 💪

Try out the Fitness Pad on the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail! It's FREE, in NATURE, and perfect for a total body workout. Nothing quite like shaping those calves while listening to the birds sing.🕊

Be sure to stay hydrated while you work out, especially during these hot summer months!

PAL's basement renovation is not yet complete, but the space is already drawing the attention of a certain PAL Staff member..

Swipe to check out Laura's makeshift basement office. 😉

She comes for the peace and quiet and stays for the beautiful new carpet! Thank you Hodge Floors for upgrading our space!

You heard us loud and clear - FREE CANTALOUPE IS HERE!

How to get yours:

Log in to your PAL Food Hub account.
Add a cantaloupe to your cart (and the rest of your favorite produce!)
Use PROMO CODE "CANTA" at checkout.
🗓️ Valid on orders placed now through Sunday at noon.

👉 Don't have an account? No problem! It's quick and easy to create one. Sign up at: https://palfoodhub.localfoodmarketplace.com/Account/Register

Happy Cantalouping, friends!

We are thrilled to announce that the Saluda Grade Trail has been awarded a $450,000 grant from the federal Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies!

This significant funding underscores the transformative potential of the 31-mile rail trail to bolster local economies across North and South Carolina.

Grant Awarded for Saluda Grade Trail | Saluda Grade Trail The Saluda Grade Trail was awarded a $450,000 grant from the federal Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies, announced today.

PAL's fabulous Board Chair, Anne McCraw, is rolling off the PAL Board this year. We are so grateful for her leadership and passion for our work, and we will miss her can-do attitude and loving support!

When asked what serving on the PAL Board has meant to her, Anne answered, "It's been an honor to serve on the PAL Board and be a part of creating a more HEALTHY and CONNECTED Spartanburg. This team had an early vision for our
community and seeing projects come together, oftentimes after years of behind-the-scenes work, has been incredible. Spartanburg is so lucky to have PAL and I cannot wait to continue to cheer them on!"

Thank you, Anne! We are so lucky to call you a PAL!