Press Release –
Polaris Industries is proud to announce the completion of its second year of T.R.A.I.L.S. grants.
In more than two years, the Polaris T.R.A.I.L.S. Grant Program has granted $700,057 in funds to local, state and National ATV Clubs.
In this first round of 2008, Polaris granted $108,400 to 11 organizations in eleven states.
To date, Polaris has assisted 78 ATV organizations in 42 states across the U.S.
The first of its kind in the ATV industry, the ‘T.R.A.I.L.S.’ grant program was launched in January 2006 for ATV clubs, associations and grassroots groups.
ATV riders and the trails they use are the lifeblood of the sport and Polaris aimed to create a program to help.
The T.R.A.I.L.S. program makes funds available to not-for-profit national, state and local organizations in the United States to ensure the future of legal ATV riding.
T.R.A.I.L.S. stands for:
T = Trail Development
R = Responsible Riding
A = Access
I = Initiatives
L = Lobbying
S = Safety
The grant program encompasses two main objectives – promoting safe and responsible riding, and preserving access.
Funds can be used by organizations for trail development and maintenance projects, safety and education initiatives, lobbying and other projects to increase and maintain land access.
“The consistently growing interest in this program is evidence enough of the dire need to secure legal riding places in the United States,” said Mike Dougherty, vice president of the ATV division at Polaris. “We are committed to the ongoing success of our program and hope riders at every level will have a more positive riding experience be it locally, statewide or nationally because of our efforts.”
The grants ranged from $8,500 to the maximum $10,000 and will be applied toward: trail development, expansion, improvements, reconstruction and connections; an off road adventure park; ATV safety training school and DVD; national forest trail mapping; and lobbying efforts to re-open state forests for off-road vehicle use.
The fifth round of T.R.A.I.L.S. grant recipients are:
Local Organizations
– North Alabama Trail Riders Association (Alabama)
– Harlan County Ridge Runners ATV Club Inc. (Kentucky)
– Gila Rough Riders (New Mexico)
– Gold Country ATV Association (Nevada)
– Cedar Mountain Sledders & OHV Club (Utah)
– Florence County ATV Club Inc. (Wisconsin)
State Organizations
– ATV Maine
– New Jersey Off-Highway Vehicle Association
– New York Specialty Off Road Vehicle Association
– South Dakota Off Highway Vehicle Coalition
National Organizations
– USDA Forest Service, Cibola Ntl. Forest, Black Kettle District (Oklahoma)
For more information on the ‘T.R.A.I.L.S.’ grant program and an application form, visit the Polaris Web site at www.polarisindustries.com and click on “Riders,” then select “Right to Ride.”
Grant applications are reviewed two times per year — in March and September, with corresponding submission deadlines of March 1 and September 1.
Organizations must have 501c3, 501c7 or non-profit organization status. Project funding, or matching funding, from other sources is an important criteria to be considered for a T.R.A.I.L.S. grant.
