The pocket park in the Alaska capital was dedicated on 21 September, 2012: international peace day.
Juneau Veterans for Peace led the effort to name the park after Kenny, who served the Catholic Diocese of Juneau from 1979 to 1995. The organizers originally proposed naming it simply “Peace Park,” but discovered the city does not allow parks to be named after concepts or ideas. It needed to be named after a person. They quickly decided upon Kenny, who was known for his international work for peace, non-violence and human rights. He was often referred to as “No Nuke of the North” by his fellow bishops.
The “Growing Peace” sculpture by Jim Fowler was added in 2015.
