Kiwanis Regional Trail Authority holding 5K fundraiser May 20 at new Tecumseh Connection

TECUMSEH — The Kiwanis Regional Trail Authority is having its grand opening of the new extension of the trail connection to Cal Zorn Park with a 5K run/walk fundraiser May 20.

The 5K will begin at 9 a.m. Cal Zorn Park at the corner of Raisin Center and Russell roads in Tecumseh. Each municipality that makes up the trail authority — Adrian city and township, Raisin Township and Tecumseh city — has a link on its website where participants can register online or download a paper copy to drop off or mail in. The deadline to sign up and get a T-shirt is May 5.

The cost per person is $30. Children 12 and younger are free. The cost for a child's shirt is $15. Same-day registration will be from 8 to 9 a.m. The course will close at 10:30 am. Healthy snacks and water will be provided.

The KRTA hopes to make up a $53,000 shortfall it has with the county after building the extension.

“We have a deficit that we owe the county $53,000 for the whole project that we did, which when you look at the whole project, that’s not too bad,” Raisin Township Supervisor and KRTA board member Tom Hawkins said. “We had a lot of people pony up and we’re so gracious in this community. Now, we have this wonderful trail connection that everybody loves, but we do have this deficit that we have to make up.”

The Lenawee County Commission voted to cover an amount not to exceed $520,000 last month toward paying off the bills for the Tecumseh Connection. But the amount is actually set at about $462,000.

The county expects $300,000 to be repaid from a Michigan Department of Natural Resources grant. Other fundraising efforts by the Kiwanis Regional Trail Authority will make up the difference. Private donors have pledged to donate $160,000 to the county, and $50,000 has been pledged to the county by community organizations.

“We do have a little bit of time to continue to try to get that deficit down. Hopefully, we can get some more donors, but if not, probably it will have to come out of the fund balance, which is used for maintenance and everything which we don’t want to use because we have a big, long trail to take care of,” Hawkins said.

So far, Hawkins has lined up four sponsors, but he is looking for as many as he can get. There is a link on the KRTA website and the Raisin Township website where sponsors can download forms and mail them in.

Platinum sponsors will pay $1,000 or more and get the biggest logo on the shirt, a sponsor sign and will be announced at the event. Gold sponsors will pay $500 to $999 and get a large logo on the shirt, a sponsor sign and will be announced at the event. Silver sponsors will pay $250 to $499 and get their name and logo on the shirt. Bronze sponsors will pay $100 to $249 and will get their name on the shirt.

For those who have not experienced the new connection, they need to get out and get on it, Hawkins said. He has met people from out of town on the trail, proving that the trail is becoming a destination point.

“I just love the new trail addition. I have run it several times myself and biked it. It is so much more beautiful than I could ever have imagined as an addition to the trail. I love being able to either ride my bike or run down Russell Road and get on the trailhead there. I go all the way to Adrian on the trail and back,” Hawkins said. “Let’s say I want to take my bike before then. I’d have to take my life into my own hands by going down Occidental or Green Highway, both of which are very dangerous roads, and I did not like it at all. Now, I just come down Russell Road and get right on the trail. I love it.”

The community came together to make this extension happen, and the extension in turn is bringing more people together and helping them to live healthier lives, Hawkins said.

“I’m just so proud of all the people who make up the authority and the municipalities that have participated in this really important community project that helps build our health, and helps build family and community relationships because this is something that we do together,” Hawkins said.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Kiwanis Regional Trail Authority to have 5K run/walk fundraiser