FIREFLY TRAIL INC 2023 YEAR-END FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

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Maxeys, Ga. – Nov. 27, 2023 – After committing more than $350,000 in recent years to help local communities build portions of the Firefly Trail between Union Point and Athens, Firefly Trail Inc. (FTI) is holding a fundraising campaign to replenish the funds it uses to help communities build and maintain the trail.

 “Twelve miles of the trail are now open and serving their communities,” said FTI President Mark Ralston. “That’s possible because of amazing public support for the Firefly Trail. Continued support helps our non-profit help small and rural communities with matching funds required by trail-building grants.”

When finished, the Firefly Trail will be a wide, off-road, 39-mile path that is flat or has only gentle grades, making it a safe place for people of all ages and abilities to walk, run, ride or roll. It will reach from Union Point in the south to Athens in the north, generally on or near the historic corridor of the now-defunct Georgia Railroad Athens Branch.

Most recently, funds provided by FTI enabled the City of Woodville to contribute its share of matching funds for a Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program grant that built more than 6.5 miles of trail in Greene County. Most grants require a “local match” that is around 20-25% of the total. With 2.6 miles of trail needed to get from one side of the city to the other, Woodville could not meet its share of the match.

Funds provided by FTI and later supplemented by the PATH Foundation and the Riverview Foundation covered the funding gap. Greene County, the GOSP grant recipient, was able to build the entire trail segment, including the Woodville section. Today, trail users can walk, run or ride from Carlton Street in Union Point more than 6.5 miles north to the county line with no gap in Woodville.

FTI currently is working with the cities of Maxeys and Crawford to secure grants for portions of the trail in those cities. If approved, the grant for Maxeys will extend the existing trail about 0.9 miles to the city’s southern city limits. The grant for Crawford, matched by FTI and city TSPLOST funds, will build about 0.6 miles of trail from downtown to Bryan Park and then on to the city’s northern city limits.

The goal for the campaign is $55,000, and donations of any amount are warmly welcomed. Donations can be made online through the YEAR-END FUNDRAISER tab at fireflytrail.com, using any major credit card, Google Pay or PayPal. If you prefer to donate by check, please make it payable to “Firefly Trail, Inc.” and mail it to Treasurer, Firefly Trail, Inc., 345 Lyndon Ave., Athens GA 30601. FTI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with Federal Employer Identification Number 45-1444715.

“We are so thankful for the deep and ongoing investment in the trail from across our region,” said Mary Cook, FTI president-elect. “Everyone deserves a safe, fun and convenient trail they can walk, run or ride with family and friends right here in Northeast Georgia. We’ve still got 27 miles to go, but together, we are making the dream come true. Let’s keep the momentum going!”
For more information, please visit fireflytrail.com or email [email protected].
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