Tuna Trekkers Traverse Trails
By SANDRA RHODES
There are six Tuna Trekkers down, and as organizers hope, many more to go.
The first six Tuna Trekkers have logged in the 31 miles of the Tuna Valley Trail Association and are on their way to become official Tuna Trekkers. The Tuna Trekker Program is a fundraiser that benefits the America Red Cross of McKean and Potter counties.
Tuna Trekker hopefuls have until Aug. 15 to turn in their log books.
“We started in May,” said Elaine Summerday, who walked the trails with friend Theresa Bond. The program started May 15. “We wanted to be the first.”
Bond said they had done it last year and when she saw the announcement for this year’s event, they seized the chance to do it again.
The two said one of the main motivating factors of doing the Tuna Trekker program this year was the addition of the geocaching component.
This was a welcome new challenge that broke up one of the longer trails in the system – the Indian Pipe Trail.
The other four first-place finishers were the “Find Your Trail” of Terri Cook, Marcia Fowler, Cheryl O’Connell and Doris Stoddard.
The “Find Your Trail” team would coordinate when they could walk together, something they have done for years.
“We have always been walking together for years – even if it wasn’t for any purpose,” O’Connell said.
While the two teams walked all of the 31 miles, some can be completed on bicycle as proved by Rick Lutz and Gene Cornelius, who tackled the entire Tuna Valley Trail system in one day.
They did the Indian Pipe, Marilla Springs, Marilla Bridges, Blaisdell & Emery and McDowell trails on bikes. They walked and biked the Marilla Rocks trail and walked the others. They started at 8 a.m. and finished a little after 4 p.m.
But have no fear, others have more time – until Aug. 15 - to finish the program.
Anyone who finishes each of the TVTA developed trails, pledges a minimum of $30 and completes the trails log, will earn the title “Tuna Trekker.” The benefits of the Tuna Trekker program are twofold – to get people to use and appreciate the trails as well as earn money for the local Red Cross.
“I like them all,” Fowler said. “It’s a good challenge.”
There are at least 300 trail logs out. Organizers are not sure how many actually are doing the trails until the logs are turned in in August.
Participants in the Tuna Trekker program are to get pledges for each mile they walk on the trails and then get out and walk.
Walkers will have a log to complete; there’s space for a photo of the participant – for a photo contest - and a witness signature.
Last year, the Tuna Trekkers raised a little over $2,000 for the Red Cross. Lutz
noted that all of the money stays local and helped support the local programs, such as Meals on Wheels and disaster assistance.
Log books can be picked up at the Red Cross or at the WESB/WBRR studios. A recognition dinner is held in the fall.
There are six Tuna Trekkers down, and as organizers hope, many more to go.
The first six Tuna Trekkers have logged in the 31 miles of the Tuna Valley Trail Association and are on their way to become official Tuna Trekkers. The Tuna Trekker Program is a fundraiser that benefits the America Red Cross of McKean and Potter counties.
Tuna Trekker hopefuls have until Aug. 15 to turn in their log books.
“We started in May,” said Elaine Summerday, who walked the trails with friend Theresa Bond. The program started May 15. “We wanted to be the first.”
Bond said they had done it last year and when she saw the announcement for this year’s event, they seized the chance to do it again.
The two said one of the main motivating factors of doing the Tuna Trekker program this year was the addition of the geocaching component.
This was a welcome new challenge that broke up one of the longer trails in the system – the Indian Pipe Trail.
The other four first-place finishers were the “Find Your Trail” of Terri Cook, Marcia Fowler, Cheryl O’Connell and Doris Stoddard.
The “Find Your Trail” team would coordinate when they could walk together, something they have done for years.
“We have always been walking together for years – even if it wasn’t for any purpose,” O’Connell said.
While the two teams walked all of the 31 miles, some can be completed on bicycle as proved by Rick Lutz and Gene Cornelius, who tackled the entire Tuna Valley Trail system in one day.
They did the Indian Pipe, Marilla Springs, Marilla Bridges, Blaisdell & Emery and McDowell trails on bikes. They walked and biked the Marilla Rocks trail and walked the others. They started at 8 a.m. and finished a little after 4 p.m.
But have no fear, others have more time – until Aug. 15 - to finish the program.
Anyone who finishes each of the TVTA developed trails, pledges a minimum of $30 and completes the trails log, will earn the title “Tuna Trekker.” The benefits of the Tuna Trekker program are twofold – to get people to use and appreciate the trails as well as earn money for the local Red Cross.
“I like them all,” Fowler said. “It’s a good challenge.”
There are at least 300 trail logs out. Organizers are not sure how many actually are doing the trails until the logs are turned in in August.
Participants in the Tuna Trekker program are to get pledges for each mile they walk on the trails and then get out and walk.
Walkers will have a log to complete; there’s space for a photo of the participant – for a photo contest - and a witness signature.
Last year, the Tuna Trekkers raised a little over $2,000 for the Red Cross. Lutz
noted that all of the money stays local and helped support the local programs, such as Meals on Wheels and disaster assistance.
Log books can be picked up at the Red Cross or at the WESB/WBRR studios. A recognition dinner is held in the fall.
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