Be a Trailblazer

Did you know that you can ride with us on our Cycle the Erie Canal tour for only $100 and help raise awareness for our work to Close the Gaps in the Erie Canalway Trail? As a Trailblazer you can! Trailblazers are a special group of cyclists who are passionate about helping Close the Gaps. They register for $100 and commit to raise another $1,400 from friends and family to support their Cycle the Erie Canal ride. As they campaign, they help spread the word about completing the Erie Canalway Trail and help raise funds for this important work.

Linda VanDeMortel, who is looking forward to her ride this summer, explains why she chose to be a Trailblazer.

“I grew up and live in Newark, NY, a little town on the Erie Canal. 26 years ago I worked at Paul T. Freund Corporation in Palmyra, NY which is also on the Erie Canal. As part of their 100-year anniversary celebration, a man named Mark DeCracker spoke of the dream of creating the Erie Canal Trail. I now spend my summers on the trail biking, walking, kayaking, and enjoying Music on the Erie at Spencer Knight Park with my family on warm Friday nights. There is no better therapy than to experience the peaceful sights and sounds of the Erie Canal Trail. My dream since that day 26 years ago was to be part of the vision of a completed trail and I am honored to be able to raise funds for this effort by being a Trailblazer.”

If you are passionate about the Erie Canalway Trail and have a supportive group of friends and family, become a Cycle the Erie Canal 2017 Trailblazer (July 9-16) and get ready for an epic adventure! Check out Linda’s fundraising page and see how easy it is to get started.