A new pedestrian bridge was built at Stables Park on Jan. 21 thanks to an Eagle Scout Project by Liam Perry. The 16-year-old constructed the bridge in memory of Bill Shehan, who was a dedicated Scoutmaster for many years. Shehan died in 2021 after a battle with brain cancer. At the time of his death, he was an Assistant Scoutmaster for Perry’s troop, Troop 396 at Belin United Methodist Church.
The Shehan Memorial Bridge was constructed on the running trail used for Waccamaw High School cross-country practices at Stables Park – just behind the Warrior Run Disc Golf Course. Perry is a junior at Waccamaw High and manages the pole vaulting team. He said he was encouraged to build the bridge by the pole vaulting coach, who is also an Eagle Scout. A new bridge was needed by the cross country team, as an existing bridge at the site allowed the team to cross single-file only, Perry said.
Perry wanSted to build the bridge in memory of Shehan because he’d made such an impact on the lives of so many Scouts over the years, including Perry himself.
“He was just always there for us,” Perry said. “He was a veteran and always told us cool stories and stuff. And he was good at wood working and taught us that.”
One of Shehan’s favorite things was mentoring individual Scouts in skills and leadership and encouraging them to become Eagle Scouts, said his widow Lee Brockington.
Perry plans to have a memorial plaque installed near the bridge to tell people about Shehan’s contributions.