Seventh Annual “Cruisin’ for the Trails” Charity Ride Raises $2,500 for the Clinton River Trail’s 15th Anniversary
May 4 was a great day for a bike ride with 200 riders participating in the seventh annual “Cruisin’ for the Trails” event to benefit the Clinton River Trail, celebrating its 15th anniversary. Hosted and sponsored by Motor City Brew Tours, the event raised $2,500 to be used by the Friends of the Clinton River Trail for trail improvements. The route took riders about nine miles along the trail, from Rochester Mills Beer Co. in downtown Rochester to Duffy’s Pub in Auburn Hills, and then back. In addition to bike related SWAG, adult riders were provided KIND snacks, selected Rochester Mills beverages and 15th anniversary Clinton River Trail mix, courtesy of Kar’s Nuts.
Anne Gealy won the top raffle prize – a special Clinton River Trail 15th anniversary edition Detroit Bike
As part of the event festivities, Friends of the Clinton River Trail raffled off a custom Detroit Bike cruiser style bicycle at the end of the ride. The bike was a unique, limited edition model with Clinton River Trail 15-year anniversary decals on it. The bicycle generated tremendous interest and excitement among participants.
For the seventh year in a row Steve Johnson, founder of Motor City Brew Tours, was excited to have riders experience the Clinton River Trail and visit downtown Auburn Hills. “Motor City Brew Tours would like to thank everyone who came out to support the Clinton River Trail. The ride has grown in participation from last year. We had great weather and had a great group of trail supporters. We appreciated all of the riders, volunteers and sponsors who made this charity bike event a resounding success. Special thanks go to Rochester Mills Beer Co, Main Street Bicycles, KIND Snacks, FCRT and the Duffy’s Pub for making it a fantastic day to be on a bike in Oakland County.”
Richard Harrison, a board member of the FCRT, explained that the group uses the monies raised as seed money or matching funds for grants to acquire new amenities and signage for the trail. Past additions have included monument signs at major road crossings with maps and wayfinding information, new interpretive signs, information kiosks and two shade shelters. The Clinton River Trail is managed individually by five cities each having a segment of the trail. The Friends group strives to insure cooperation and coordination between the cities. “Partners like Motor City Brew Tours sponsoring events like ‘Cruisin’ for the Trails’ provide the critical funding needed to improve the trail.”
Teams of cyclists enjoyed the 9 mile casual ride from Rochester Mills to Duffy’s Pub in Auburn Hills and back again
About Motor City Brew Tours
Offers guided bus, walk, boat and bicycle tours to places that make beer, hard cider and mead. Since 2009, they have taken 25,000 people on tours.
About the Clinton River Trail (CRT)
CRT is a 16 mile long, multi-use, recreational trail extending through the communities of Sylvan Lake, Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Rochester Hills and Rochester. The CRT provides connections to several other trails in the area and is a critical part of two cross-state trails: the Iron Belle Trail running from Belle Isle to Ironwood and the Great Lake to Lake Trail from South Haven to Port Huron.
About Friends of the Clinton River Trail
An all-volunteer group, Friends of the Clinton River Trail is dedicated to improving the safety and enjoyment of the trail for all users. With roughly 450 members, the group’s Steering Committee works with each of the five cities through which the trail passes to achieve consistent “branding” for the trail and a common standard for trail appearance and maintenance.
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