BUCKHANNON – Ready to run, walk, bike or hike to raise money for the Upshur County Trails project?
Folks who love the nearly six-mile walking, running, hiking and biking trails system located in Upshur County near Buckhannon-Upshur High School now have the chance to do what they like best while helping raise funds to add more trails and enhance the trails already in place.
The Upshur County Trails Raizin’ Trail Virtual Event is currently signing up participants, and registration will continue through Monday, Oct. 26. The UCT Raizin’ Trail Virtual Event will be held from Oct. 17 to Nov. 8, 2020.
After paying the registration fee, within the specified time frame, volunteers with UCT encourage folks to go out and explore the Upshur County Trails by running, hiking, walking and just enjoying the serenity and nature found on the trails. You may sign up here.
UCT Volunteer Rachel Garton Weber said the fundraiser is to raise money for future trail projects.
“We want to encourage local people to come out to the trails to do this virtual event just to experience the trails for themselves by running, walking, biking or hiking,” Weber said. “They do not have to do the entire length of the trail – they can just do a little bit of the trail. For people who are not local, they can pay their registration and do the event wherever they live to show their support for us.”
Weber said funds will pay for materials for trail building, such as supplies for any needed bridges, as well as renting material to work on the trails. She said the hope is to add at least 10 more miles of trails over the next few years.
“Participating in this kind of virtual event allows folks to get out and be physically active and become stronger,” Weber said. “I think it is also good emotionally to get out and walk among the trees and breathe the fresh air. It is very peaceful and relaxing. It would be good for families to do this together as a group.”
“There are lots of trees, fall flowers and you can see the beautiful fall leaves that are coming on,” she added.
Participants in the UCT Raizin’ Trail Virtual Event will receive a T-shirt and a UCT sticker. When signing up, participants may choose to also receive a hat for an additional fee. Those signing up will be eligible to win a prize package featuring goodies from local sponsors.
“Any groups or businesses who would like to sponsor the UCT Raizin’ Trail Virtual Event are welcome to go on to email me for details at rachelfweber@yahoo.com,” Weber said. “We are also accepting sponsors through Oct. 26. We are not only accepting monetary donations from sponsors – we will be doing a couple of door prizes and are accepting these from sponsors.”
The Upshur County Trails are located in Tennerton behind Buckhannon-Upshur High School. There are several places to enter the trails, including just below the football field beside the basketball court and beside the State Police Barracks when you enter the B-UHS driveway.
On their Facebook site, the Upshur County Trails says it is a volunteer group dedicated to improving trail conditions and creating new trails in the Upshur County area. Their vision is to unite the trail users in the county with surrounding counties to improve the trail usage in Upshur County for recreational uses like mountain biking, trail running and hiking.
The group’s main focus has been on the old cross-country trails that are behind B-UHS in the Upshur County Recreation Park. The volunteers have dedicated their time and resources in order to maintain and build new trails, and they are proud of their well-used approximately six miles of loop trails; however, they say there is more to be done.
“Recently, additional acreage has been leased in order to be developed into more trails,” she said. “To help fund this work, we’ve partnered with the Upshur County Recreation & Parks Board to establish this fundraiser to help raise awareness and funding.”
Weber thanked those who help support the Upshur County Trails.
“Keep watch as we will be having more fundraisers coming up in the future,” she said.
