Sept. 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance Seeks to Raise $50K

The September 11th (9/11) National Memorial Trail Alliance is seeking to raise $50,000 to continue to develop the 1,300-mile biking and hiking Memorial Trail that connects the three 9/11 memorial sites via six states in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, DC. The not-for-profit 9/11 Trail Alliance relies on financial support from donors and grants to further develop and maintain the 9/11 Memorial trail. For more information or to donate, go to www.911trail.org.

The $50,000 will help support a challenge grant from The Colcom Foundation for $100,000. Other ways to make a tax-deductible donation is to shop with AmazonSmile and select the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance as the charity of choice and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase back to the 9/11 Memorial Trail.

Because of COVID-19, the 9/11 Memorial Trail’s 2nd Annual Tour De Trail was held virtually where bikers, on their individual schedules, made the 24-mile trail ride from Berlin, Pa., through the Laurel Highlands region, and finished up at Shanksville, Pa., the site of the Flight 93 National Memorial. Also in 2020, the 9/11 Memorial Trail created the 9/11 Trail Challenge, as an outlet during COVID-19, to encourage participants to get outdoors and explore their local trails and greenways by committing to walk, run, and/or bike 1,300-mile 9/11 National Memorial Trail (with socially distanced precautions.) Although the trail is not fully completed, the 1,300-mile 9/11 Memorial Trail is currently connected by off-road and multi-use trails.

Memorial Trail development in 2020 consisted of reaching major milestones along the alignment in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. Construction is now complete for the 1.4 mile segment in Somerset County, Pa. This new trail segment is part of a planned 20-mile connector to link the Great Allegheny Passage Trail in Pennsylvania and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa. Norfolk Southern Railway also partnered with Open Spaces Institute on the Essex-Hudson Greenway project in New Jersey, creating opportunity of nine more miles of trail. Approximately 50% of the 9/11 Memorial Trail is complete. Donations will support continued development and construction.

As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the 9/11 National Memorial Trail Alliance is also working on securing a federal designation for the 9/11 Trail to ensure that future generations will have a trail that symbolizes resiliency and serves as a commemorative tribute to the fallen heroes of this country. To support the federal designation initiative, individuals can contact their US Congressional representatives and US Senators.

ABOUT September 11th (9/11) National Memorial Trail Alliance: The 9/11 National Memorial Trail Alliance is a not-for-profit organization leading the development of a 1,300-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail connecting the three 9/11 memorial sites with communities in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C.; established in 2002 by its founder and President Emeritus, David Brickley. More than 50 percent of the 9/11 Trail is off-road, and the Alliance has been partnering with federal, state, county and municipal officials on 14 projects to connect more than 30 trails. The route includes New York City’s National September 11th Memorial, the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Va., and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa. The 9/11 National Memorial Trail Alliance is based in New Eagle, Pa., near Pittsburgh. To learn more, go to www.911trail.org/our-history.html, or visit us on Facebook at 911MemorialTrail, Instagram/Twitter @911trail and YouTube @911trail.