From: Nigel.Allen@lambada.oit.unc.edu
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: One Million Americans Flock to Rail-Trails For National Celebration
Date: 6 Oct 92 00:21:49 GMT
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

Here is a press release from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

 One Million Americans Flock to Rail-Trails For National Celebration
 To: National Desk
 Contact: Philippe Crist or Tim Winterich of the Rails-to-Trails
          Conservancy, 202-797-5400

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3  -- America's first National Rail-Trail 
Celebration drew more than 1 million participants to more
than 200 events today in honor of the conversion of the 500th 
abandoned railroad corridor into a community path and parkway.
   Several thousand enthusiasts cheered the opening of the 500th
rail-trail, the Minuteman Trail outside Boston, at a ceremonial
ribbon-cutting which included a Minuteman reenactment and a parade of
antique bicycles.
   The festive atmosphere cut even across political party lines, with
both President George Bush and Gov. Bill Clinton sending messages of
support to rail-trail advocates and users.
   Several governors, Olympic athletes and sports stars, as well as
Steam Train Maury, "King of the Hobos," were among the celebrities
who helped the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) celebrate the goal
set five years ago when only 75 rail-trails had been identified.
   "These 500 trails represent more than 5,000 miles and that's a
significant accomplishment.  But there are 150,000 miles still
waiting to be converted," said David Burwell, president of the RTC.
  "As this celebration shows, Americans don't want to lose a single
mile."
   Local events planned in conjunction with the national celebration
were creative and entertaining including:
   -- In Park City, Utah, the Schirf Brewery issued a special limited
production of "Rail-Trail Ale" in honor of the opening of the
Historic Union Pacific Rail-Trail.  The ale, priced at $9 per
12-pack, was sold at the trail during the day's festivities.
Proceeds from the sale of the 7,500 bottles of ale were donated to
building and maintaining the trail.
   -- Near St. Petersburg, Fla., following a dawn Torchlight Relay
Run, a 100-mile bike ride, and a group of senior citizens
demonstrating their prowess on three-wheeler bicycles, two couples
celebrated a double wedding on the Pinellas Trail.
   -- Using the Schuylkill River Greenway/Philadelphia-Valley Forge
Bikeway, hundreds of cyclists led by "Benjamin Franklin" pedalled
22 miles from Independence Hall to Valley Forge, where they met
another group led by "George Washington" for festivities at Valley
Forge National Park.
    -- And Oakland's Lafayette-Moraga Trail celebration featured 1992
Winter Olympic figure skating silver medalist Paul Wylie who switched
to rollerblades to lead a "Make Up Your Own Parade" Parade.
   Additional events took place in Chicago, Washington, D.C.,
Cleveland, Tallahassee, New York and scores of other cities.
   In letters sent to celebration organizers across the country both
Bush and Clinton applauded the national celebration.
   "I am delighted to congratulate all of you on this milestone,"
said Bush.  "Your work will lead to a trail system spanning from
coast to coast."
   Clinton also endorsed building a cross-country network of trails
but noted, "We must act now since thousands more miles of old rail
lines are being lost every year."
   In conjunction with the event, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
also released 500 Great Rail-Trails (Living Planet Press, $9.95), a
directory highlighting the trails in 44 states that have been
converted from old rail lines into paths bicyclists, joggers,
walkers, hikers, equestrians, in-line skaters, cross-country skiers,
snowmobilers and people with disabilities use more than 75 million
times a year.
   RTC is a national, non-profit organization established to help
convert abandoned rail corridors into recreational trails.
    ------
   Editors: For more information about rail-trail events that took
place in each state, contact Tim Winterich of the Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy, 202-797-5400.
 -30-