SRAM Support
An Unprecedented opportunity!
Click here to give today!
The Copper Harbor Trails Club is excited to announce that we have partnered with industry heavyweight SRAM to help accelerate trail development in Copper Harbor! This $500,000/year commitment over five years (that's $2.5 MILLION) will see SRAM support a wide variety of new trails in our system, from thrilling downhill runs to scenic cross-country cruisers. We are excited for what the future holds and hope you will join us in making the dream a reality!
A Year in the making
Efforts to secure the $2.5 million deal with SRAM have been in the works for quite some time. Aaron Rogers (of Rock Solid fame, not the Packers QB), CHTC President Adam Yeoman, and others were all pivotal in putting together a plan that would work for both parties. We almost landed the deal before our 2022 season but had to take a quick breather while The Nature Conservancy's land acquisition process in Keweenaw County played out (fortunately in the community's favor!).
In the meantime, SRAM opted to support a limited number of projects we had in the hopper this past season at a lower level. To get there, we leveraged existing funding to match SRAM's $80,000+ commitment. If you were a member of CHTC or chipped in a few bucks in 2022, congrats! Your donation was doubled and as a result, we were able to complete the overlook trail Weathertop, started work on a new downhill option near Flo'Rion, built a new bridge at the East Bluff Bike Park entrance, and the beginnings of a new climbing trail extending from Bluejay Picnic. Not a bad start!
All of that is on top of our existing projects to rebuild Overflow, Flying Squirrel, and Daisy Dukes. Consider that a taste of what is to come!
We Need Your help
Can we raise $500k before the 2023 season? The Portage Health Foundation matched your donations through Giving Tuesday, which gave us an enormous leg up. We raised over $117,500 from Giving Tuesday 2022 which gave us a HUGE leg up on fundraising towards our overall goal. We had the biggest increase of any group involved (from $29k in 2021!) and couldn't have done it without your generosity. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far!
If you still want to donate, SRAM will still match your donation dollar for dollar! Rock on!
HOW TO GIVE
With Giving Tuesday over, donating to CHTC's SRAM campaign is now much more streamlined. You have two easy options, both of which will see your donation to our trails doubled leading up to our 2023 season.
- Option 1: Join as a CHTC member! All memberships will be matched.
- Option 2: Donate directly through PayPal! Donate over $50 and you'll get a complimentary 2023 CHTC membership. Mark your donation as unrestricted and we'll do the rest.
- Bonus Option 3: If you are a business that wants to support us and receive Partner benefits, reach out to us directly and we can clue you in on more of those details!
What's In Store
We have 12+ miles of trail proposals submitted to the Michigan DNR to hopefully construct several more lengthy XC routes (including even more scenic miles for Highlands), a couple of Enduro trails, and an easy loop on existing public land. Several more miles of the Keweenaw Point Trail could be up next after the first few miles are finally built in 2023. And let's not forget about the East Bluff Bike Park, which still has room for another trail or two (or three?).
That's plenty to get us through the next couple of years, and once the planning process is complete for everything The Nature Conservancy helped protect, we anticipate having "a little" more room to grow from there. Trails to Lac La Belle, Eagle Harbor, and elsewhere have been dreamed about for years. Could this finally be our opportunity? There's only one way to find out, and that's to help us match SRAM's $2.5 Million commitment today!
What's In it for you?
More trail, of course! We pride ourselves on always having something new in Copper Harbor to explore. By supporting SRAM's $2.5 million match initiative, you're helping us build more trail faster, using the best trail builders in the business. That means your next visit to Copper Harbor will feature the latest and greatest trails, the coolest new trail building techniques, and the best singletrack views in the Midwest.
Plus! All donors who give over $50 will receive a complimentary 2023 membership to the Copper Harbor Trails Club! This is your best opportunity to renew as you'll get the biggest bang for your buck. All members get access to great member perks, netting you even more goodies every time you're in the Keweenaw. Give today!
