The Forks is inviting people to “adopt” part of its river trail this winter.
For $50, donors will receive a certificate from The Forks Foundation stating which numbered metre of the Nestaweya River Trail they sponsored, and a tax receipt. The foundation is the charity affiliated with The Forks North Portage Partnership.
“This year, we’re inviting everyone who loves, uses or takes pride in the river trail to support it in this exciting and meaningful new way,” Sara Stasiuk, CEO of The Forks North Portage, said in a news release.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
James Torrance skates on the Nestaweya River Trail at The Forks on Jan. 25.
“Everything great in Manitoba was built by people, friends, families and communities coming together, and The Forks is no exception.”
The river trail’s length and duration varies each year, depending on the weather. More than 200,000 people use the trail during longer seasons, and it takes a team of more than a dozen people to maintain it, The Forks said. In years with a shortened or non-existent river trail season, resources are reallocated to support other winter programming around The Forks.
“The Forks receives no operational funding from any level of government, and amenities like this rely on community,” Stasiuk said in the release.
Last winter, the trail opened Jan. 25, the latest it has ever opened. It was open for only nine days over two periods that season, closing Feb. 17.
People can adopt a metre of the trail online.
fpcity@freepress.mb.ca