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 8th Annual Paint Creek Trail Labor Day Virtual Bridge Walk and Run on Monday, September 2, 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 roundtrip walk to Tienken Road, or a 10K roundtrip walk or run to Silver Bell road on the Paint Creek Trail. Onsite registration begins at 8:00 a.m., and the event starts at 9:00 a.m. It is a free community event, with a suggested donation of $5.00 per family for the acquisition and development of a trail parking lot. Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve will have a children’s activity available on site for all participants. In addition, this year’s event is sponsored by the Michigan Fitness Foundation, Dr. Ron Fried Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Rochester Hills, and UPS. For more information, including online registration, visit www.paintcreektrailfriends.org
“This is one of our favorite events of the year. It’s a chance for families to come together and kick off a healthy, active start to the new school year. It’s also a great beginning to a beautiful, fall weather season on the trail. As part of the virtual Mackinac experience, we will have fudge samples available as everyone returns to the pavilion,” said Trail Manager Kristen Myers.
There is also something else special planned. This year is the 30th Anniversary of the Paint Creek Trail, and the Friends group has been putting together a commemorative 2014 calendar, with photos submitted by trail users as part of a contest. The calendar will be available for sale at the walk.
“This has been a fun project to work on. We received over 150 photos for consideration. It’s clear that this is a much-loved trail, and we can’t wait to reveal the calendar to the public on Labor Day,” said Jim VanDoorn, Friends of the Paint Creek Trail Board President. The Trailways Commission will honor the winners of the calendar contest at its 30th Anniversary celebration on October 12, 2013 at the Paint Creek Cider Mill.
For more information please visit http://www.paintcreektrailfriends.org.
About Sarah Hovis