Trail users log miles raising more than $20,000
The Health Living Cooperative won the workplace team challenge with about 46.8 miles logged per team member during the Whitefish Legacy Partners Hit the Trail Challenge!. (Photo courtesy Whitefish Legacy Partners)
The Whitefish community logged a total of 20,062 miles on the Whitefish Trail during the month of May raising $20,062 for the trail.
Whitefish Legacy Partners this spring launched the Hit the Tail Challenge! asking those walking, hiking, biking or riding on horseback on the trail to log their miles and help earn matching dollars for the trail. There were 635 participants, including 17 workplace teams who stepped up to the challenge.
Miles were matched dollar for mile by local health and wellness sponsors.
“We are overwhelmed by the community’s excitement for our community trail and local conservation lands during the inaugural Hit the Trail Challenge!,” said Alan Myers-Davis, director of development for Legacy Partners. “The Whitefish Trail is one of our great free wellness resources where all families of the Flathead Valley can live active, healthy lives while exploring our local public lands. Hats off to everyone who participated and a special thanks to our sponsors who matched every mile with a dollar donated back to our local trail and protected lands.”
Tyler Hoppes logged the most miles on the Whitefish Trail during the month of May with 462 miles. Katie French had the most running miles with 139 miles run on the Whitefish Trail. Ingrid Wick had the most miles hiked with 81, and Sheri Stock had the most miles on horseback with 42. Sam Truffant had the most youth miles with 97.
The Health Living Cooperative won the workplace team challenge with about 46.8 miles per team member, and North Valley Hospital workplace Team had the most total miles with 1,067.
Fifth-grade students at Whitefish Middle School logged 440 miles during the challenge.
The original goal was to raise a lower amount of money, but Jim and Lisa Stack provided the final $5,062 match above the $15,000 goal and inspired the community to log more than 5,000 miles in the last week of the challenge.
Hit the Trail Challenge! sponsors were Jim and Lisa Stack, Glacier Medical Associates, Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, BlueCross BlueShield of Montana, Glacier Bank, The RD Foundation, North Valley Hospital, and Kalispell Regional Medical Center.
For more information on the Whitefish Trail, visit www.whitefishlegacy.org or call 862-3880.