Trail of Cheers
Town Lake revitalization: Campaign for the Trail reaches goal with help from St.David's Foundation
365 days a year, throngs of people run or bike the Town Lake Trail that stretches from Mopac to Pleasant Valley.
The trail, which “came to life” during the 1970s, consists of a 10.5 mile loop that serves as the training grounds for triathletes, marathon runners and the everyday Austinite trying to stay in shape. The popular training ground is about to become a safer, more scenic run thanks to The Trail Foundation (TTF) and the Saint David’s Foundation.
TTF's main initiative is Campaign for the Trail, a $5 million project that would complete the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake, as well as provide a boardwalk on the water. The boardwalk would serve to keep runners, walkers and riders off of the sidewalks of Riverside Drive.
On Tuesday, July 10, TTF held a presentation to celebrate a donation of $500,000 by the St. David’s Foundation. This significant donation helped complete TTF’s campaign and is specifically going towards the Boardwalk Trail Completion Project.
Earl Maxwell, CEO of the St. David’s Foundation, ceremoniously handed a large check — both monetarily and physically — to leading members of TTF, including Griffin Davis, Chairman of the Campaign for the Trail. This is a momentous occasion for one of the fittest cities in the country and the thousands of residents that hit the trail every week.
Thanks to The Trail Foundation and St. David’s Foundation, Austin can look forward to maintaining its status as one of the country's most active cities. We can probably look forward to a long future of those signature 5Ks, too.