Teen makes showcasing Greer his mission

GREER, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Jonathan Lovegrove has been keeping track of new business and community events in his hometown since he was barely a teenager. His mother said Lovegrove’s affinity for the scavenger hunt game Munzee and his desire to expand it led her son to pay closer attention to changes in Greer.

“He read the city planning documents,” Bethany Lovegrove said. “He would check out the council meetings to see how they were implementing the city plan.”

When city leaders found out about this, they planned a surprise celebration at Greer City Hall for Lovegrove’s 13th birthday. Mayor Rick Danner “knighted” the young teen by draping him with a Greer-themed blanket and tapping his shoulders with a ceremonial key to the city instead of a sword.

“That just propelled me on into serving the city,” Lovegrove told FOX Carolina. “That’s really what sparked my desire to run Greer Tidbits.”

His endeavor to showcase the growth of Greer caught the attention of those who work to preserve its history. Lovegrove started volunteering at the Greer Heritage Museum and is now in charge of events and communications. When the museum was shut down due to COVID, Lovegrove produced dozens of “history class” videos so people could enjoy the exhibits at home.

Lovegrove is a rising senior at Bob Jones Academy. He said he’s not sure what he plans to do as an adult.

“Whatever it is, I want to be helping people and helping my community,” Lovegrove said.

Copyright 2022 WHNS. All rights reserved.