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The Shuswap, British Columbia – Once again, residents and community leaders throughout the Shuswap put their pennies where their heart is and showed their support for continued care and upkeep of our growing greenway trails system. A sell-out crowd packed the Salmon Arm Rec Centre and raised over $20,000 at last Friday’s annual Shuswap Trail Alliance Party and Auction, with final donations still coming in. “This puts the foundation in place to work with partners supporting another year of trail projects throughout the Shuswap,” says Trail Alliance chair, Winston Pain, extending his thanks to everyone!

“Hard to explain it, but the February Shuswap Trail Party and Auction just seems to keep landing right in the middle of a bunch of things people want and support.” said Winston, who was asking attendees what motivated them to come during last Friday’s sell-out 8^th Annual Shuswap Trail Party and Auction. “It’s motivating us on a whole number of levels,” he notes, “from everyone genuinely standing behind the effort to develop greenway trails throughout the region, to loving the whole evening package with band, local foods, and socializing, and then there’s simply being ready to crawl out of our snow caves and celebrate in the middle of winter.”

The deep winter event also models what the Shuswap Trail Alliance is all about – partnerships. “Over 140 businesses and leaders contributed to the auction,” said Margaret Moores, who co-chaired the six person organizing team of community leaders including Jamie Granville, Cathy Bartsch, Deb Cannon, Steve Fabro, and Winston Pain. “The Salmon Arm firefighters commanded the bar, EZ Rock’s Patrick Ryley jumped in once again to spin his DJ magic, Brian Coffey with BC Sound provided all the audio we could ask for to power Scarecrow (the band), and Mike and Stephanie of Million Dollars in Pennies stepped up to gracefully MC us through the night.” And the local food and beverage side brought together partners like the Barley Station, Larch Hills Winery, Wildflight Farms, Gourts Gouda, Sedo International Meats, and the Shuswap Pie Company.

“But it gets better!” states Winston, pointing to the local ENACTUS student organization (“Entrepreneurs in Action for Us“) who jumped in to help. “They were incredible!” The local chapter of ENACTUS is part of an international organization of University and College students around the globe committed to making a difference in communities. The ENACTUS team assisted Shuswap Trail Alliance event coordinators with the auction, security, and designated driving (for which donations to ENACTUS were collected.)

And to seal the deal on partnerships, all four of Salmon Arm's car dealers - Braby Motors, Hilltop Toyota, Jacobson Ford, and Salmon Arm GM -  joined together with ENACTUS and the Shuswap Trail Alliance to provide shuttle vehicles for the evening. "What a model of collaboration!" states Pain. "THANK YOU!"

Organizers are extending a wide and hearty thank you to the 140 businesses and community leaders who contributed to this year's event in support of 2013 greenway trail work throughout the Shuswap! Hot platinum items included two Waterways Houseboat Vacations (yes two!), a chance to purchase the new Hydrofoil Sit-on Water Ski invented by local entrepreneur Blaine Sholinder, and two days of dreamy backcountry powder in the Anstey Range with the Shuswaps very own K3 Cat Skiing. The event also received Platinum level cash and in-kind contributions from Browne Johnson Land Surveyors, the Investors Group, BC Sound, and EZ Rock.

To find out more about Shuswap Trails throughout the region and the Shuswap Trail Alliance, visit www.shuswaptrailalliance.com.