Montour Trail plans successive Saturday penny fundraisers
A sign for the Peters Township Pennies for the Trail fundraiser
One of the benefits of visiting a trail is taking in seasonal blooms, such as these wild sunflowers.
The annual fundraiser is called “Pennies for the Trail,” but those who volunteer at the Montour rail-to-trail conversion will take any type of change or small or large bills.
And this year’s fundraiser in Peters Township is hoping for much more than pennies because there’s a challenge the group hopes to meet.
Kicking off the annual fundraisers will be the Peters Township Friends of the Montour Trail from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 3 in Peters Township.
In honor of Padmavathi Banavara, the matriarch of a volunteer’s family, the first $1,500 in donations will be matched.
If the weather allows, volunteers will be stationed at the Brush Run Road trailhead, near the gyro shop, 502 Valley Brook Road, and at the upper end of the bridge near the treatment facility along Valley Brook Road near Route 19. In case of inclement weather, only the treatment plant location will be manned.
The South Hills organization will be on hand from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at Clifton and Irishtown roads and Limestone Drive in Bethel Park.
The South Hills Friends volunteers will be at the Bethel Park/South Park Waste water treatment plant on Piney Fork Road in South Park Township, Milepost 37.8; along Piney Fork Road near Gill Hall Road, Milepost 40.6 in Jefferson Hills Borough; and at the Clairton Trailhead, Milepost 46.6.
Donations are used to pay for trail improvements and ongoing maintenance along the 18 miles of the trail between Peters Township and Clairton that includes signage, fuel for mowers, clearing downed trees, rebuilding fences, mulching and replacing or repairing the crushed limestone surface.
Those who would like to contribute but are not able to do so in person, can contact Mark Imgrund at 724-941-6351 or markimgrund@gmail.com or Dave Oyler at 412-831-9288 or davidoyler1950@gmail.com.