Legacy Partners challenges community for fundraiser

Grab your hiking boots or bike, and head out on the Whitefish Trail beginning today, May 1 to give back to the trail while also getting healthy.

For the new Hit the Trail! challenge, Whitefish Legacy Partners is challenging the community to log 10,000 miles on the trail during the month of May. For every mile folks bike, hike, run or ride on the trail, sponsors have pledged to donate $1 to Legacy Partners up to $10,000 in support of its conservation, education and recreation work.

“We want to encourage people to get out on the trail and encourage them to live active, healthy lifestyles,” said Alan Myers-Davis, Director of Development for Whitefish Legacy Partners.

Miles can logged online through their website, in paper form or through a Strava account.

In addition to raising funds by logging miles, there is also the chance to challenge family, friends, neighbors and coworkers to a healthy competition. Before the start of the challenge last week, about 200 individuals had already signed up, and 10 workplace teams were set to participate.

Workplace teams, sponsored by their employers, compete against each other as a group.

“We want local businesses to encourage their employees to be healthy,” Myers-Davis said. “Healthy employees benefit their employers because they spend less time away from work.”

Prizes will be given to individuals and workplace teams who log the most miles throughout the month. Fifth-grade classes at Whitefish Middle School will also be competing against each other in the challenge.

“We want to award those who get the most miles by biking, hiking or horseback riding,” Myers-Davis said.

Winners will be announced on National Trails Day on June 1 during a community barbecue and celebration at the Learning Pavilion at Lion Mountain following a trail work day.

Legacy Partners is also planning several events during the challenge such as a community bike ride, a Mother’s Day hike, fitness hike, as well as field trips for kindergarten, third grade, and ninth grade students.

Sponsors of the challenge are 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.

Individual participation is free. Businesses donate $150 to establish a workplace team for employees.

For more information and to sign up for the challenge, visit www.whitefishlegacy.org/hitthetrail or call 862-3880.