HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — It was the dream of Dr. Paul Ambrose to help make Huntington and surrounding communities a healthier place to live and work. That dream goes on 13 years after he was killed on 9/11.
Ambrose was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon. After the Huntington native’s death, his parents and the community worked together to create PATH or the Paul Ambrose Trail for Health.
“The trail system is basically a way to continue his legacy and make an impact on health of people. I like to think of those as goals and focuses of his career. I hope we’re serving those well,” said Cassey Bowden, the marketing manager for the Nick Joe Rahall Transportation Institute.
PATH now consists of four sections of trail: the Flood Wall, Memorial Park, Guyandotte and St. Cloud. Back on Monday, construction started on the newest phase of the project, .5 miles along Washington Blvd. The goal, according to Bowden, is to eventually connect all those trails.
“PATH is something that started with some ideas and some direction,” explained Bowden. “As the community gets more vested and sees more progress and wants more progress, it keeps growing!”
Bowden believes Ambrose would be very pleased to see how PATH is used on a daily basis.
“To see folks come out and use it to ride their bike, to walk, to run, maybe just time to spend with their family is very exciting. And that excitement is continuing to grow and it’s contagious,” stressed Bowden.
Where will PATH head next? Bowden said that question will be answered on Saturday at the 2014 Fit Fest at Ritter Park. There will be an announcement about the next phase of the project.