“It’s a chance for people to see and try it and support it,” says Debra MacDonald, who has spearheaded the campaign to make TrailRiders available to people in the Shuswap. Book a demo for your group, or check it out and make a donation this coming Saturday at the Taste of the Shuswap Bike Month street fair in Salmon Arm between 10 am and 4 pm. (Hudson Ave right in front of the Gallery.) 

Before Debra’s illness with Multiple Sclerosis, which put her in a wheelchair, she worked in the forest industry for 20 years. “This gave me opportunities working outdoors that most people with a disability will never experience,” she says. The TrailRider changes that. “My goal is to get people with all disabilities to experience the great outdoors.” 

May is Bike Month in the Shuswap. Self-propelled travel on all kinds of wheels is being promoted, applauded, and even pushed. “The TrailRider fits the big picture of getting people outside, active, and connected with their environment,” says Shuswap Trail Alliance executive director, Phil McIntyre-Paul. “We’d like to see one in place by the summer to start promoting better accessibility of our greenway trails to more people.” 

In order to make this happen, Debra is working with community partners to raise money for the first TrailRider. The 2013 campaign’s goal is to raise $7000 to purchase a TrialRider and all the equipment to run a successful and safe signout program. The Shuswap Trail Alliance is supporting the effort by managing donations, issuing charitable receipts, and working with Debra to house the sign-out and training process. 

Charitable donations can be made by mailing a cheque to the Shuswap Trail Alliance, PO Box 1531, Salmon Arm, BC V1E 4P6, and clearly mark that it is for the TrailRider Project; or call the Alliance at 250-832-0102. For more information on the TrailRider or to book a demo, call Debra at 250-832-1353. Debra’s TrailRider demo schedule can be found on the events page at www.shuswaptrailalliance.com. And check it out on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqBGDalB1ZM 

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For further background on this release, please contact: 

Debra MacDonald (TrailRider Project)