New plaza in Dexter honors female athletes and memorializes local triathlete

The Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative (HWPI) and Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission have opened the new Title IX Plaza at Dexter-Huron Metropark in Dexter. This plaza, situated along the Border to Border (B2B) Trail, honors the transformative impact of the federal Title IX civil rights law on women's sports in Southeast Michigan. The law, enacted in 1972, prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational program that receives federal funding.

"This has been a very collaborative project between [Washtenaw County] Parks and HWPI," says Washtenaw County Parks Deputy Director Megan Bonfiglio. "Part of the work between us was developing areas along the trail to showcase art and other educational opportunities."

The Title IX Plaza features stories of 17 women athletes, coaches, and advocates from Southeast Michigan who have overcome barriers in sports. They were nominated by other community members while the plaza was still in its design phase. Bonfiglio says visitors to the plaza will be able to contribute to the ongoing story of Title IX by scanning a QR code at the plaza or visiting b2btrail.org/titleix, where they can read each of the highlighted women’s stories or submit their own.

"The stories we highlighted don’t cover everyone’s experiences," Bonfiglio says. "We have a call-to-action piece for people to share their own personal stories while we figure out a way to make this live on."

The Title IX Plaza initiative was inspired by Karen McKeachie, a Dexter-born endurance athlete and advocate for women's athletics. McKeachie died in 2016 after being hit by a vehicle while training on her bike for a triathlon. Bonfiglio says that the Kidder-McKeachie family have remained "ardent supporters" of safe and non-motorized transportation.

Both the Kidder-McKeachie family and the Washtenaw Parks and HWPI teams hope Karen McKeachie's legacy and memory will live on through the new plaza.

"We had a generous donor in the Kidder-McKeachie family who wanted to show how pivotal and impactful Title IX had been for Karen and other area athletes," Bonfiglio says. "We collaborated closely with HWPI on both the design and interviewing the women who are highlighted in the plaza."

To keep up to date on the Border to Border Trail, visit their website. Other updates regarding Washtenaw County Parks can be found here.

"I hope everyone of all ages can visit and see how Title IX is still important today," Bonfiglio says. "I want people to make connections with these stories, whether they participated in sports or just realize the benefits of being mobile and active."

Rylee Barnsdale is a Michigan native and longtime Washtenaw County resident. She wants to use her journalistic experience from her time at Eastern Michigan University writing for the Eastern Echo to tell the stories of Washtenaw County residents that need to be heard.

Photos courtesy of Washtenaw County Parks.