From Kiff Hamp / Executive Director, HWPI
As we come to the end of 2023, we look back on a year of significant progress and positive change at the Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative (HWPI). Over the past year, our organization oversaw internal governance changes and policy improvements to put us on a stronger path to the future; moved to a new office and brought on new team members; grew our donor base and strengthened our partnerships; hosted our first ever large-scale community fundraising event; and began a strategic planning process to further define our goals and vision for the next 5-10 years… All while helping to add nearly 3 miles of new B2B Trail.
With all of this underway, we also doubled down on our goal to complete the B2B Trail in the coming years. Working with our partners at Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission (WCPARC), we raised significant private and public dollars, and helped to prepare for major projects over the next two years along the last remaining trail corridors, including:
- The Barton Bandemer Tunnel under the rail line at Bandemer Park, and a paved trail across the Barton Nature Area, opening up the Huron River Drive corridor to Ann Arbor.
- A bridge over Mill Creek, connecting the B2B Trail into downtown Dexter and completing the eastern portion of the Dexter to Chelsea segment.
- The Title IX Plaza in Dexter-Huron Metropark, our first major trail-adjacent project that will honor Washtenaw County-based women who were instrumental in passing Title IX legislation in 1972, and who have since helped to significantly advance women’s sports.
Of course, none of this work would be possible without the dedication of donors, community members, and trail enthusiasts like you. We have fewer than 10 miles of trail to build in order to realize our collective dream of completing the B2B Trail throughout Washtenaw County, but with some of the most expensive and complicated projects still to come. As we look to close the remaining gaps along the Huron River Drive and Dexter Chelsea Rd corridors, we need your continued support now more than ever.
You can donate online at https://huron-waterloo-pathways.org/donate/. You can also make checks out to Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative and mail them to:
Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative
14800 E. Old US HWY 12
Chelsea, MI 48118
Thank you for your tremendous support of our work throughout this exciting year of growth, and for your continued passion for our community trail.
