Indy Give Campaign
We are excited to announce that Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates has been accepted to the 2012 Indy Give! campaign that runs until December 31. This is a big step forward for MWTA in terms of fundraising, and coincides with a big change in our organization. MWTA has been working with land managers in the Pikes Peak Region for over 20 years, to build and maintain trails and ensure continued access to recreation areas that we love. Recent events have put more pressure on our trails and require that we significantly increase our capacity:
- Severe reductions in City parks budgets means that all our trails must be cared for by volunteer groups. We need to be part of this process in every park, to ensure that we develop and maintain trails for all users including mountain bikes.
- The forest closure due to the Waldo Canyon Fire will be lifted in the next year, and we need to be ready to repair old trails and develop new ones where appropriate. For now the closures have put more pressure on existing trails that will need extra love over the next few years.
- New access to Colorado Springs Utilities lands means opportunities for new amazing trails on the slopes of Pikes Peak, including the Lake Moraine Trail connecting Barr Trail to Jones Park.
- New riding styles have clearly demonstrated the demand for more extreme terrain for gravity oriented recreation. Until now the unfortunate result has been illegal, unsustainable and sometimes unsafe trails where they cannot stay. Land managers recognize the need for properly built, sustainable downhill trails in Colorado Springs, as skills parks have had success all around the country. We need to work more closely with land managers instead of building illegal trails that can’t be maintained.
These are the reason MWTA must increase our capacity over the next few years, and we need your help to do it. We need more tools, more trained crew leaders, and more volunteers to work with land managers to make the right decisions. We ask you to support us through the Indy Give! campaign. It's a perfect time to donate to MWTA because, thanks to generous mathcing grants from SRAM and SRM-USA, every dollar you give is worth $1.55.