More than 100 members of the Granville and County Park District gathered on the TJ Evans Trail on September 20 for a trail dedication ceremony. During the event, a section of the trail was named in honor of trail volunteer Craig Washka.
According to Licking County Commissioner Tim Bubb's Facebook post, Washka is wheelchair-bound due to a progressive form of multiple sclerosis. Despite this, since 2012, he has been actively volunteering to help maintain the recreation trail system, welcoming and assisting guests.
Bubb further said that Washka's medical condition ended his career as a commercial aircraft pilot. However, he found new purpose by helping others in the park system, serving with the Granville Kiwanis Club, and raising over $250,000 with his Granville community bike team in efforts to cure multiple sclerosis.
The Facebook post also mentioned that the section of the TJ Evans Trail just northeast of Raccoon Valley Park and across the Granville Rotary Bridge at the paved trail was officially named in Washka's honor. Speakers at the dedication included Licking Park District Director Kyle Lund, Jennifer Roberts from the Thomas J. Evans Foundation, Granville Village Manager Herb Koehler, Commissioner Bubb himself, a representative from the Buckeye Chapter of the National MS Society, and Sally Schaadt from Granville Kiwanis. Licking Park District Board Member Jonathan Demarest announced the trail dedication and unveiled the new signage.
