Earlier this year, the Sunflower Foundation awarded $270,416 in Sunflower Trails grants to 11 communities to build, expand, improve and connect their trails:
The purpose of the Sunflower Trails program is to promote healthy living by providing safe and accessible places for physical activity as well as connecting Kansans to each other and the great outdoors.
“The Sunflower Foundation is excited to invest in these communities and provide Kansans the environment to be physically active while enjoying our state’s natural beauty,” Billie Hall, President and CEO of the Sunflower Foundation, said. “For many cities, building a trail is the first step in launching its community’s overall healthy living initiative. We also are pleased to award, for the first time, grants for specific improvements on existing trails, and grants intended to build connectors between trails.”
New Trails
- Eureka Lions Club, Eureka, will build the first walking path in its community. This halfmile long, 5′ wide path will loop around Lions Park and be part of the town’s Walk Across Kansas program.
- The City of Lyndon will develop a 4,100′ long, 6′ wide trail to encircle a city park. The ADA-compliant path will include two loops to accommodate different fitness levels.
- Pawnee County will continue to revitalize a former Girl Scout camp near Larned by constructing a 4,321′ long, 6′ wide expansion to an existing multi-use path.
- The Ottawa County Health Planning Commission, Minneapolis, will create a half-mile long, 5′ wide trail that meanders through the trees of Markley Grove Park.
- The City of Valley Center will build a 1.2-mile long, 5′ wide, ADA-compliant walking path around eight soccer fields near the community’s new recreation center.
- The City of Goodland plans to develop a half-mile long, 6′ wide trail within a popular city park, one of the first steps in the city’s overall plan to improve walking opportunities.
- The City of Eudora will construct a 2,692′ long, 8′ wide multi-use trail, also part of the city’s master plan to increase walkability and bikability.
Improvements to Existing Trails
- Prairie Travelers Inc., Wichita, will add distance signage to increase safety and usability along the eight-mile Prairie Sunset Trail between Garden Plain and Goddard.
“Trail Connectors”
- The City of Hutchinson plans to partner with Dillons Food Stores to build a trailhead and 1,200′ long, 12′ wide trail connector that links to a city trail.
- The City of Ottawa will increase cycling opportunities by constructing a 1,200′ long, 8′ wide trail connector that safely links the Flint Hills Nature Trail and the Prairie Spirit Trail.
- The City of Colwich plans to complete a walking and cycling loop around a nine-acre lake in its city park by building a 1,405′ long, 6′ wide trail connector.
May 1 Grant Application Deadline
The Sunflower Foundation is accepting proposals for their next round of trail funding. Grants are accepted in the following areas:
- Community-Based New Trails or Trail Expansions
- Community-Based Existing Trail Enhancements/Improvements
- Community-Based Trail Connectors
- School-Based New Trails
Click here to view the open RFPs and learn more about applying for a grant from the Sunflower Foundation. All proposals must be submitted online by Wednesday, May 1st, 2013, at 5:00 p.m. CST. Funding announcements are anticipated by Friday, June 21st, 2013.
If you have questions about the process, please contact the Sunflower Foundation.
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