Trail of Cheers

Town Lake revitalization: Campaign for the Trail reaches goal with help from St.David's Foundation

Earl Maxwell (Left), CEO of The St. David's Foundation, hand Griffin Davis,Chairman of The Campaign for the Trail, a check for $500,000.
Left to right: Griffin Davis, Chairman of The Campaign for the TrailEarl Maxwell, CEO of The St. David's FoundationSusan Rankin, Executive Director of The Trail FoundationBrian Ott, President of the Board of The Trail FoundationKimberly McNeely, Assistant Director of Austin Parks and Recreation
Griffin Davis speaking to crowd.

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.

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Tailgating with the stars

Meet UT Longhorns legend Vince Young at CultureMap's Tailgate party

Vince Young scoring winning touchdown in 2006 National Championship Game

Photo courtesy of 973espn.com

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CultureMap is making final preparations for The Tailgate presented by Verizon, our all-out celebration of Austin sports and the fans who cheer for them. Taking place at Distribution Hall on December 12, it will be an evening of food and fun that combines the best parts of tailgating with the cool vibe readers have come to expect of a CultureMap event.

Attendees who treat themselves to VIP tickets will get a variety of perks, including early access to the event, valet parking, and a dedicated VIP bar. As a special bonus, they'll also get a personal meet-and-greet with University of Texas football icon Vince Young.

Young is widely celebrated for his tenure as a quarterback for the Texas Longhorns, from 2002-2005, and regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NCAA history. He earned the prestigious Davey O'Brien Award, finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, and led the Longhorns to a thrilling BCS National Championship victory over USC at the 2006 Rose Bowl. Texas retired Young’s jersey in 2008, and he went on to be a star quarterback in the NFL for six seasons.

According to Sporting News, Young spends much of his time in retirement on the golf course, hanging out at his Vince Young Steakhouse in Austin, and supporting his alma mater by attending UT Longhorns' games and practices.

Attendees of The Tailgate will enjoy a range of experiences showcasing local sports and local food. Some of Austin's hottest restaurants will be serving game day-inspired bites, including Golden Hour, Phoebe's Diner, Honey Moon Spirit Lounge, Industry East Side, The Loren Hotel Austin / Nido, Postino, The Dirdie Birdie, Victory Lap, Thunder Chief, and Ramen Tatsu-Ya.

Don't forget to vote for your favorite wings in our bracket-style Ultimate Wing Showdown; the winner will be announced at the event.

Attendees can expect more revelry, games, and prizes courtesy of our event sponsors and local vendors, including Verizon, HOWDY, EIGHT Beer, Houston Powder Coaters, and more.

Verizon and CultureMap are even giving away a VIP trip for two to Super Bowl LIX*. More details on how to enter here for a chance to win. To get into the spirit, Verizon and their Super Bowl bus will host a special appearance from a surprise celebrity athlete at Tailgate. (Who will it be??? Such suspense!)

Read more about The Tailgate here, and follow all the details in our special editorial series.

Tickets for The Tailgate are $75 for VIP and $50 for general admission. For a limited time, we’re giving you $15 off all tickets; use code VINCE at checkout. Get your tickets now.

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The Tailgate is presented by Verizon and sponsored by HOWDY, Houston Powder Coaters, EIGHT Beer, and more to be announced.

*The NFL Entities shall have no liability or responsibility for any claim arising in connection with participation in this sweepstakes or any prize awarded. The NFL Entities have not offered or sponsored this sweepstakes in any way.

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