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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2020 Cyclists head for the trail
A photo of Kirk on his bike was front and center at the celebration
Award-winning volunteers pose in front of the new sign for Kirk’s Mountain Bike Trails
Bruce Jones is presented with a Volunteer Award from Janet Schrader
His Dream Lives on FIRST ‘KIRK’S RIDE’ CELEBRATES MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL AND ITS VOLUNTEERS
W
hile he was sad that he had become too sick to ride on what is now called the Kirk Schrader Mountain Bike Trails at Chikaming Township Park and Preserve, Kirk’s spirits were uplifted when, driving away from the trail on one of his last Jeep rides with his wife, Janet Moore Schrader, he heard a voice call out: “Hey Kirk - thanks for having a dream!” “It was a call out we’d say to each other: ‘Thanks for having a dream, Kirk,’” Janet said. Members of the public celebrated having Kirk’s dream come to fruition after two years of hard labor during the first “Kirk’s Ride,” which was held at the trail Wednesday, Sept. 30. The ride was being held on what would’ve been Kirk’s 56th birthday, Janet said to the crowd of avid cyclists and supporters. Kirk passed away last November after battling pancreatic cancer. Since most mountain bike rides have been cancelled this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Janet
JV Peacock recieves a Lifetime Volunteer Award from Janet Schrader
BY FRANCESCA SAGALA
He approached the township board, said that this year would be a celebration which held a public hearing for the trail. of the volunteers “who made it possible.” Members of the public latched onto A timed race and fundraiser will be Kirk’s dream and volunteered to help held next year, with possible vendors in with its construction. the park. “It quickly started happening – it’s Due to leaving the Chikaming amazing how many people Township Park Board wanted this to happen,” in a few weeks, Janet Janet said. said she’d formed a steward committee for the trail – all of whom urrently, the were given recognition at trail is 8 and a Wednesday’s event. half miles long. The trail has been A final loop created completely that currently through the efforts of being cleared will make Kirk’s bike made an appearance volunteers, with no the trail 10 miles. at the celebration taxpayers’ money being “That makes it a used for its construction. destination,” Janet said of In the beginning, Kirk (who served the final length. as sexton for the township’s cemeteries Already, people are talking about the for many years) had merely planned on trail on Facebook, branding it “the one to creating the trail on 14 acres of his land; watch,” she said. however, his plans soon changed. Initially, the trail was intended to be “He had a dream – he said, ‘I want for mountain bikers only. This changed, everybody to ride it and liability is a little though, after the outflowing of thanks too high to have it on private property,’” from walkers, dog walkers and runners. Janet said. “They decided that the walkers, if they
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Pat Fisher recieves a Lifetime Volunteer Award from Janet Schrader
A crowd of supporters gathers for Kirk’s Ride
know they have to get off trail when bikers go through, are welcome to use it,” Janet said. The following individuals received the Chikaming Township Park Board Volunteer Service Award for putting in more than 50 volunteer hours on the trail: Tony Dlouhy, Stefanie Brown, Rodney Summerscales, Tiffany Summerscales, Cory Schiller, Lanny Ross, Eric Nevalainen, Jack Kirkpatrick, Chad Sperry, and Bruce Jones. The following received the Chikaming Township Park Board Lifetime Service Award for encouraging people to “get out there and move:” J.V. Peacock and Pat Fisher. Local businesses were also given thanks, including Whistle Stop in Union Pier, Luisa’s Café in Harbert and Art fx in Bridgman, which donated the trail’s new sign. Chikaming Township Park and Preserve is located on Warren Woods (between I-94 and Lakewood Estates) in Chikaming Township. For updates on the trail, follow the Chikaming Mountain Bike Trail on Facebook.
Cyclists are ready to hit the trail at Chikaming Township Park and Preserve
