City, trails organizations look to continue financial, community support for safe recreation, alternative transportation routes

In less than six weeks, the City of Fort Wayne and its four partner trails organizations raised more than $1.25 million as part of Oprah'€™s Big Give Fort Wayne Trails.

“The support for multiuse trails from individuals, businesses and non-profits is truly amazing. As I said Saturday at the community celebration, '€˜What a statement, what a city,'€™” said Mayor Tom Henry. “Trails are an important part of our City'€™s infrastructure, but they don'€™t usually get this level of attention. The outpouring of resources demonstrates our commitment to providing an outstanding quality of life for everyone and connecting our communities.”

The $1.25 million is the total of cash, land and in-kind donations collected as of April 17. Additional gifts continue to come in this week as the momentum for trail construction and expansion continues. The City'€™s portion, which is more than $500,000, will fund part of the next section of the Wabash & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The Towpath Trail will connect the existing Rivergreenway with the Aboite New Trails network.

“Trails are an ongoing investment in our community,” said Dawn Ritchie, City greenways manager. “The money raised is very critical to expand our network, but multiuse trails are a multimillion-dollar investment for years to come. All of us working on trail development look to continue this momentum we'€™ve created.”

Fort Wayne and New Haven'€™s fund-raising achievements are scheduled to be featured on the April 21 “Oprah.” The program will focus on the “Oprah'€™s Big Give” reality show winner and affiliates'€™ success with growing $10,000 of “Oprah'€™s Big Give” seed money given to local groups into something larger. It airs at 4 p.m. on WPTA-TV.

More than 3,000 people came out April 12 to Headwaters Park East to celebrate the achievements of the City, Aboite New Trails, the Greenway Consortium, New Haven/Adams Township Park and Recreation Department and Northwest Allen Trails. Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy and four Colts players, including Bob Sanders, came to show their support of the community'€™s fundraising achievement.

In March, “Oprah'€™s Big Give” selected ABC affiliate Indiana'€™s NewsCenter and the local non-profit Aboite New Trails for a donation of $10,000. The mission from “Oprah'€™s Big Give” to Aboite New Trails and Indiana'€™s NewsCenter was to find a way to grow the money into something larger.

Aboite New Trails chose to split the Oprah'€™s Big Give funds with each of the four partner trails organization to host its own fund-raising event, thus expanding the reach of the Oprah'€™s Big Give funding throughout Fort Wayne and New Haven. The partner organizations kept the money raised from the individual fund-raising walks or rides to fund the expansion and maintenance of the trail network in Allen County.

The fund-raising totals from each organization, not including any of the Oprah'€™s Big Give Fort Wayne Trails seed money, as of April 17 are:

City of Fort Wayne:

'€¢    Total raised: $552,655
'€¢    Pledges from corporations or donations mailed in: $37,900
'€¢    Money donated at the community celebration: $645
'€¢    Booth fees for community celebration: $1,420
'€¢    In-kind contributions: $12,690
'€¢    City match for the Towpath Trail: $500,000

Aboite New Trails:

'€¢    Total raised: $667,505
'€¢    Cash and pledges including event registrations: $229,055
'€¢    Sponsored projects (Lutheran Campus Loop Trail): $170,000
'€¢    Land donations: $105,000
'€¢    In-kind contributions: $163,450

Greenway Consortium:

'€¢    Total raised: $15,936
'€¢    Cash raised including event registrations: $15,330
'€¢    In-kind contributions: $606

New Haven/Adams Township Park and Recreation Department:

'€¢    Total raised: $6,089
'€¢    Cash raised including event registrations: $4,520
'€¢    In-kind contributions: $1,569

Northwest Allen Trails:

'€¢    Total raised: Approximately $10,500
'€¢    Cash raised including event registrations: $7,912
'€¢    In-kind contributions: Approximately $2,500