June Trails Talk
2021 BIKES~BREWS~BITES FUNDRAISER
Plans are coming together for the 2021 “Bikes – Brews – Bites” trails celebration that will be on Saturday, July 17. The event will be at the Okoboji Brewing Company’s outdoor event space and there will be a great variety of brews, wine and bourbon tasting. Back Alley BBQ will be providing a fantastic menu with live music both inside and outside the brewery. The fundraiser will coincide with the Okoboji Foundation’s $5,000 July Nonprofit Challenge and you may give directly to the trails or send your donation through www.GiveOkoboji.com between July 1-31, 2021. Sponsorship opportunities and tickets are available on the DCTB’s website www.dickinsoncountytrails.com .
Your generous donation will assist the Dickinson County Trails Board in planning and development of priority projects that will add over 3 miles of new trail in 2021, a new trailhead in Spirit Lake, improvements to the trestle bridge between East and West Okoboji as well as the multi-phase projects of connecting trails to Lake Park and Clay County.
As part of the celebration, we are collaborating again with Hope Rolls – Dickinson County to raise funds for trail development and to provide new recreational opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. A raffle will be held at the event with a grand prize of a $2,500 gift card for a bike at Bikes, Boards and Shades in Spencer along with several other great prizes. Raffle tickets are available from DCTB members or at the Bikes-Brews-Bites party. The drawing will be held at the event and you do not need to be present to win.
DCTB AWARDED OKOBOJI FOUNDATION & REGION 3 TAP GRANTS
The DCTB received notification of two grant awards in May. The first is a grant from the Okoboji Foundation that will provide $80,000 in funding for the Tatanka Ska Trailhead in Spirit Lake. The project is currently under construction and will be a focal point of the trails system where the Spine Trail and Tatanka Ska Trace intersect. Facilities that will be available at the trailhead include restrooms, shaded resting areas, charging and bike work stations and a water fountain.
The second grant award comes from the Region 3 Transportation Alternatives Program for another segment of the Clay County Connection as part of the Iowa Great Lakes Connection trail. The award of $272,000 will be available in 2025 for construction of the final 1.5-mile segment that will complete the connection between Dickinson and Clay Counties.
UPCOMING TRAIL EVENTS
BRASL – BIKE RIDE AROUND SPIRIT LAKE: Saturday, July 10 – Enjoy a 15-mile bike cruise around Iowa’s largest natural lake or power bike 25 and 50-mile routes around the Iowa Great Lakes and Minnesota. This is a family friendly ride that treats you to scenic lakeside trails and includes a t-shirt and lunch certificate. Proceeds from the event will benefit Dickinson County Trails. opens in a new windowVisit www.spiritlakecc.com for ride details and registration.
SPORTSMAN’S 7th ANNUAL TIKI RIDE: Saturday, August 7 – Riders of all ages can enjoy 16, 24 and 40-mile routes with prizes and games along the way. The ride includes a shirt, gift bag and lunch at Sportsman’s with live entertainment during lunch and after the ride. There will be many prizes, games and fun surprises along the route and riders will receive a raffle entry at each of the sponsored stops. Proceeds from the ride will support Dickinson County Trails. More information on the ride and registration is available at Sportsman’s Facebook site www.facebook.com/events .
As always, Happy Trails to You and Yours.
Erin Reed, DCTB Executive Director