On October 24, 2019, North Myrtle Beach City Council
and many others gathered at the 7.24-acres Ingram Dunes Natural Area to
recognize those who contributed to the purchase of the property on June 4,
2019.
The purchase price was
$2.5 million.
In her remarks, Mayor
Marilyn Hatley said that:
"Everyone, from
the largest donor to the smallest, is responsible for our being here today.
However, there are those without whose involvement we would not be here today.
"We owe the South
Carolina Conservation Bank and its board of directors a large debt of
gratitude. The board worked with the City as we went through extended
negotiations for this unique piece of land. We thank the board for staying the
course, and we thank them for the conservation bank’s $500,000 investment
Ingram Dunes.
"I would like to thank our City Council members for committing the City to its $500,000 contribution. While many people in our community loved the idea of preserving Ingram Dunes, I can tell you that not so many of our taxpayers loved the idea of committing significant taxpayer funds to this project. However, Council understood the value of this land to the community and stayed the course.
"Even with those
two major contributions," Mayor Hatley continued, "we were still $1.5
million short of the funds needed to buy this land. I know we can all agree
that when the family of Charles Ingram stepped forward to announce that it
would contribute $1.4 million to the purchase of this natural area, this was
the turning point in all of our efforts. Without the generosity of the family
of Charles Ingram, we would not be celebrating here today."
The city also received
71 donations from the public. The donations ranged from $10 to $16,039. They
closed the funding gap.
"Journeys like
the one that led us all here today do not just happen," Mayor Hatley said.
"Someone always rises up and lights that first spark, encouraging others
to embark on a worthwhile journey. We thank Damien Trioulerye and Jane Vernon
for having been early leaders in the effort to preserve Ingram Dunes. They
introduced us to the unique natural value of Ingram Dunes."
The Ingram Dunes
Natural Area is managed by the City's Parks & Recreation Department. Parks
Division employees will maintain the property but will not add much to what is
already there.
The Ingram Dunes
Natural Area honors the family of Charles Ingram. Members of the Charles Ingram
family attended today's event but preferred not to speak. As Mayor Hatley put
it, "They are comfortable in letting Ingram Dunes speak for itself."
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