Events aimed at making Pentwater-Hart bike trail a reality.

April 3, 2019

Events aimed at making Pentwater-Hart Trail a reality.

#PentwaterHartTrail

PENTWATER – Friends of the Pentwater-Hart Trail will hold a “Fun Ride” through the Village of Pentwater Friday, June 28, and a 12-mile “Ride for the Pentwater-Hart Trail” Saturday, June 29. Both are second annual events.

“The events are intended to increase awareness about our work to connect Pentwater to the William Field Memorial Hart-Montague Bicycle Trail and to raise funds to support this effort,” said Claudia Ressel-Hodan, chairperson of the Pentwater-Hart Trail.

The fun ride through the village will depart from the Pentwater Public Marina at 5 p.m. and wind through the village. This short ride is open to all ages and abilities for a minimum $5 individual donation or minimum $10 donation per family. After the ride, participants can enjoy music at the Village Marina until 7 p.m.

Cyclists who wish to participate in Saturday’s event need to turn in their registration, pledge sheets and donations by mail by June 16 or in person at the Pentwater Public Marina June 28 between 5 and 7 p.m. Those riders will gather for the 12-mile (round trip) “Ride for the Pentwater-Hart Bike Trail” at 9 a.m. in the parking lot of the Boathouse Bar and Grille on Business Route 31 and Monroe Road in Pentwater. At 10 a.m. riders will cross Long Bridge, then turn left onto Wayne Road and thereafter follow the marked route, ending at Hart Pizza.

The route is the proposed trail, which would be paved in the right-of-way and separated from the road’s edge by a safety buffer. The trail will connect to the north end of the Hart-Montague trail.

Those wishing to participate in either or both events may find the registration forms and pledge sheets online at: Pentwaterharttrail.com. Prizes will awarded to the top three fundraisers on Saturday’s ride, and all Saturday riders will receive a tote bag and button.

The goal of the Pentwater-Hart Bike Trail Committee, founded in fall 2015, is to raise $5 million to connect with the northerly end of the William Field Memorial Hart-Montague Bicycle Trail so residents and visitors can have safe access to that trail and the network of trails connected to it.

To preserve and maintain the Pentwater-Hart Trail, the committee has created a “Friends” group, whose volunteer members currently work on creation of the trail and in the future will maintain the trail to the safety standards of the appropriate government agencies.

Donations are accepted by the Community Foundation for Oceana County. Funds raised in excess of the goal will be placed in a reserve fund within the foundation to be used solely for trail maintenance.

Anyone interested in becoming a “Friend of the Pentwater-Hart Trail” can find a membership form on Pentwaterharttrail.com.

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