Community Members Come Together to “Get Michigan Moving”
Unable to travel all the way to Mackinac for the annual Labor Day Bridge Walk this year? The Paint Creek Trailways Commission and Friends of the Paint Creek Trail are offering all community members a chance to participate in a Labor Day Community Walk right in their own backyard.
The Paint Creek Trailways Commission and Friends of the Paint Creek Trail are organizing the 9th Annual Paint Creek Trail Labor Day Virtual Bridge Walk and Run on Monday, September 1, at the Rochester Municipal Park Kiwanis Pavilion. This event is part of the Labor Day Community Walks that are held throughout the state in conjunction with the Mackinac Bridge Labor Day Walk. For more than fifty years Michigan residents have gathered in St. Ignace for the Mackinac Bridge Labor Day Walk. However, not all Michigan residents are able to attend the Bridge Walk. The Paint Creek Trailways Commission hopes to give more Michiganders an opportunity to participate in this walking tradition by encouraging residents to participate in their local community walk
Two options are being offered to participants – a 2-mile round-trip walk to Tienken Road, or a 10K round-trip walk or run to Silver Bell road on the Paint Creek Trail. On-site registration begins at 8 a.m., and the event starts at 9 a.m. It is a free community event, with a suggested donation of $5.00 per family for development of an educational side path. Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve will have a children’s activity available on site for all participants. For more information, including online registration, visit www.paintcreektrailfriends.org. The event is endorsed by the Pure Michigan FITness Series and the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health, & Sports. Participants this year are eligible to enter the Mackinac Bridge Labor Day Run Lottery for 2015.
“This is one of our most popular events of the year. It’s a chance for friends and families to enjoy the beauty of the trail and start the new school year with a little exercise. We also want to remind everyone that the Paint Creek Trail is a great, available free nature resource in our communities. As part of the virtual Mackinac experience, we will have fudge samples sponsored by Back to the Beach Runners available as everyone returns to the pavilion,” said Trail Manager Kristen Myers. The Friends of the Paint Creek Trail will be on hand with free trail information. “The Friends group has been working hard to make improvements to the trail. We have some great events and projects coming up, and welcome anyone that is interested in learning more about our group,” said Jim VanDoorn, Friends of the Paint Creek Trail Board President.
For more information please visit http://www.paintcreektrailfriends.org
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