Jenkins Engineering Inc. has donated a solar-powered charging station to Chester Pruitt Park, giving visitors a place to charge their electronic devices, the City of Fort Walton Beach announced.
- The charging station, from Sun Charge Systems Inc., stands 9 feet tall and is topped with a solar panel that powers internal batteries. It has a 30-inch circular table for resting electronic items and multiple USB-A and USB-C ports that can charge up to 10 devices at a time.
Jenkins Engineering purchased the $4,400 station, and Owner Scott Jenkins, along with several employees and family members, installed it on the east side of the park last week, according to the city.
Jenkins said the idea came to him while attending a past City Council meeting.
“We heard some of the concerns of residents as far as being able to charge their devices and things at a public park,” Jenkins said.
According to the city, Jenkins, an engineer, started looking for solutions and came up with the idea of a solar-powered charging station for the park.
“I have several people in my office that are very interested in helping the city and the community with different projects,” Jenkins said. “We felt like it was a good idea; it doesn’t cost anybody anything. It’s all solar powered, and hopefully the community will get many years of use out of it.”
The city thanked Jenkins Engineering for the donation, calling the charging station a wonderful addition to Chester Pruitt Park.
