Back
To News/PR Index
|
|
Trail
of Tears National Historic Trail Receives 2017 Active
Trails
Grant from the National Park Foundation
|
Washington,
DC – June 2017 / Newsmaker Alert / Trail
of Tears National Historic Trail is one of 21 national parks selected
to receive a 2017 Active
Trails grant from the National
Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks.
The grant funding will be used to support the Remember the Removal bicycle
ride by Cherokee Nation members as they retrace a portion of the Trail
of Tears across seven states and approximately 950 miles to commemorate
the forced removal of the Cherokees from their homeland during the winter
of 1838-39. The ride provides an educational opportunity for the riders
to be introduced to the trail, learn more about their heritage, explore
ancestral homelands and learn about themselves as they complete this multi-day
ride. The ride began on June 4 in New Echota, Georgia, and will finish
in Tahlequah, Oklahoma on June 22. For more details on the ride, please
visit: www.cherokee.org/remembertheremoval.
To learn more about the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, please
visit: www.nps.gov/trte.
Now
entering its ninth successful year, the multi-faceted Active Trails program
enriches national parks; strengthens relationships between parks, community
members and organizations; and supports individual growth and well-being.
Since
2008, the National Park Foundation
has granted nearly $3.8 million through its Active Trails program. As of
early 2016, Active Trails has engaged more than 15,000 volunteers and nearly
900 project partners.
“National
parks offer great spaces to build community. Whether it is admiring a dark
night sky, walking in the footsteps of your ancestors, or taking part in
a fun outdoor challenge, our Active Trails grants make it possible for
people from all backgrounds to engage in activities that bring us together
in national parks,” said Susan Newton, senior vice president of grants
& programs at the National Park Foundation.
“As
the National Park Service enters its second century of service, connecting
more people to parks, trails, and heritage areas builds on the success
of our centennial and prepares us for the 50th anniversary of the National
Trails System in 2018,” said Rita Hennessy, the National Park Service National
Trails System program manager. “These grants will encourage new generations
of visitors to build their own connections to America’s remarkable places,
where they can be active and inspired.”
The
entire list of the 2017 Active Trails recipients can be found
here.
The
Active Trails projects are great examples of the countless ways there are
to #FindYourPark. Launched in March 2015, Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque
is a public awareness and education movement to inspire people from all
backgrounds to connect with, celebrate, and support America’s national
parks and community-based programs. #FindYourPark invites people to discover
and share their own unique connections to our nation’s natural landscapes,
vibrant culture, and rich history.
The
National Park Foundation wishes to thank The Coca-Cola Company and The
Coca-Cola Foundation for their generous support of the Active Trails program.
About
The National Park Service
More
than 25,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national
parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local
history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at
www.NPS.gov,
on Facebook Facebook.com/nationalparkservice,
Twitter Twitter.com/natlparkservice,
and YouTube YouTube.com/nationalparkservice.
About
The National Park Foundation
The
National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national
parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by
Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to
help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical
conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their
incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and
INSPIRE the next generation of park stewards. In 2016, commemorating the
National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, the Foundation launched The
Centennial Campaign for America’s National Parks, a comprehensive fundraising
campaign to strengthen and enhance the future of these national treasures
for the next hundred years. Find out more and become a part of the national
park community at www.nationalparks.org.
Media
Contacts:
National
Trails Intermountain Region
Aaron
Mahr, 505-988-6098
National
Park Foundation
Alanna
Sobel, 202-796-2538
|