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The Shuswap, British Columbia – Tickets to the seventh annual Shuswap Trails Party and Fundraiser go on sale this week just in time to stuff a few stockings. The sell-out event which draws people together from around the Shuswap in support of regional greenways and trails is scheduled to light up the Salmon Arm Rec Centre Friday, February 1^st. Tickets to the deep winter social event are available at Lakeside Insurance, Salmon Arm Financial, Skookum Cycle and Ski, Ridetech, Kula Movement and Wellness, in Salmon Arm, and AJ”s and the Worx/Powder Lites in Sicamous, or by calling 250-804-5264, or email info@shuswaptrails.com. 

“Scarecrow is back to work their musical magic filling the dance floor, along with EZ Rock’s, Patrick Ryley” says Winston Pain, chair of the Shuswap Trail Alliance, “and this year we’re particularly excited to welcome Mike and Stephanie of Million Dollars in Pennies as our MCs.” Mike and Stephanie just returned from a self-powered concert tour across Canada on bicycles. “They’re perfect ambassadors of what the Shuswap Trail Alliance is working with partners to achieve,” says Winston, pointing to the healthy combination of music and bicycles. “They inspire us all to park our cars, and get outside and on our feet!” 

The annual Trail Party and Fundraiser features a full on silent auction, locally sourced and prepared appies, a cash bar hosted by the Salmon Arm Fire Department, loads of photos from another year of trail projects throughout the Shuswap, and a whole lot of music and dancing. 

Tickets sell out well in advance of the February event, so the organizing team encourages people to pick them up early. “The event attracts such a diverse group of community and business leaders throughout the Shuswap,” says Margaret Moores, co-chair of the planning team. “It’s become a great way to catch up with folks in the middle of winter, and it supports such good things throughout the region.” 

Funds raised from the annual Trail Party are critical in allowing the Shuswap Trail Alliance to leverage partnership funding for the coming year. “The Trail Alliance works when communities work together,” says Phil McIntyre-Paul, coordinator of the Shuswap Trail Alliance. “We rely on the February fundraiser to put the foundation in place to help make that happen -  and we have a very full project list for 2013.”

This past year was an important one for the Trail Alliance as community partners throughout the region considered the value of working under a unified trails strategy. “It has allowed us to better understand our place within Secwepemc Nation Territory,” says Phil. “Allowed us to launch the new Shuswap Trail Stewards program, allowed us to completely revamp the Shuswap Trails website, allowed us to initiate more guided interpretive trail programs, allowed us to continue working with Shuswap Tourism promoting our region, allowed us to build more new trail, and allowed us to involve new young people in trail care.” 

To make a sponsor contribution to the silent auction and for info on the February 1^st Shuswap Trails celebration call Winston Pain at Lakeside Insurance 250-832-8103, winston@lakesideins.bc.ca. 

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