At least 300 people turned out on Memorial Day at Trailblazer Park in Travelers Rest to support professional musician Benton Blount in his run for the Greenville County Council District 19 seat, which is currently held by insurance agent and council chairman Willis Meadows.
In addition to Blount and Meadows, two other candidates are running in the Republican primary – Ivan Mathena, director of business development at Paper Cutters Inc. and retired state trooper Jackie M. Clark. Other than Meadows, the other three are newcomers to politics.
Attendees were treated to a concert by Blount, who played guitar and sang several songs, some of which he wrote. Hot dogs, sausage dogs and angus burgers were available, as well as icees and popcorn. The festive atmosphere included several inflatable bounce houses and slides for the younger attendees.
Former council member Mark Kingsbury and current councillor Joe Dill were there to show their support, as well as 4th District Congressional candidate Mark Burns, who spoke briefly to the crowd. District 19 voters will decide among these four individuals in the June 14th primary.