On Friday REI launched their Every Trail Connects campaign, through which they invested $500,000 to repair 10 trails across 
the U.S. – and the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Trail was selected as one of those ten.
The community-driven campaign, where REI’s customers and local hikers, trail runners, bikers, and horsemen voted and decided how much money was given to each trail, ended in less than 48 hours.
Voting opened Friday, August 14th and in just a day and a half, that $500,000 was allocated, with nearly nearly $60,000 earmarked for the Middle Fork Trail. Each vote generated $5 for a particular trail.
In partnership with the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and Washington Trails Association, the nearly $60,000 raised by Every Trail Connects will help re-route a section of the The Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Trail that has been washed away by repeated flooding, restoring recreational access to the upper reaches of the Middle Fork Valley.
The project also includes removing approximately 0.5 miles of washed out trail segments to promote natural re-vegetation and repair portions of the damaged wood boardwalk structures.
Every Trail Connects marks the first time that REI engaged its community to decide how to share $500,000 with 10 passionate nonprofit partners. Each vote (one per day, per person) will invest $5 in a selected trail.
The investment is part of $5.9 million that REI is granting in 2015 to more than 300 nonprofits working to create access to more than 1,000 outdoor places throughout the United States.
“At REI, we believe that trails are nature’s playground. They connect us to one another and to something larger than ourselves,” said Jerry Stritzke, REI president and CEO. “These natural treasures are often underfunded, so we are asking the outdoor community to join us in celebrating our dedicated nonprofit partners and help us build, improve and enhance these 10 great trails for generations to come.”
