The Plainfield Park District recently received a $500 donation from the Joliet Bicycle Club.
Club president Rob Weiss said that the local non-profit organization regularly makes donations to communities where the club’s members ride trails throughout the year.
Each year, the group organizes a 100-mile bike ride, the “4th of July Century,” which departs from Plainfield and ends in Plattville. The event attracts about 900 riders and also serves as the organization’s main fundraiser for the year.
Most of the money raised then gets donated to area communities he said.
“We regularly ride on Plainfield Park District property,” he said, of the Park District’s 10-plus miles of bike trails.
“They’ve always been very accommodating to us and we like to give back to the communities where we ride.”
The group’s mission, he said, includes advocating for safer cycling, and improving conditions for biking.
The donation will be used for future bike path development said Plainfield Park District Finance Director Maureen Nugent.
Plainfield Park District maintains 32 bike and walking trails throughout its 43-square mile district, which serves over 106,000 residents.
Some of the more extensive trail routes in the Park District include:
- The Great Divide Bike Trail: Starts at Old Renwick Rd. and runs south connecting with the Old Renwick Trail Park and ending at the pond along Indian Head Ln.
- Oaks at Van Horn: Trail extends south from Van Horn Woods parallel to W. Frontage Rd. and accessible from just inside the eastern entrance of the Old Oaks Subdivision.
- Normantown Trail: A bike trail accessible from the W. 127th St. near the intersection of W. 127th St. & Rt. 30. The trail runs south parallel to Rt. 30 and ends at 125th St.
- Fort Beggs Bike Trail (North and South): The South Trail starts at Theodore St. and runs north following the power lines and ends at the Du Page River. The North Fort Beggs Bike Trail starts at the Streams Recreation Facility and follows the power lines north to Fort Beggs Dr. with connecting paths leading to either Electric Park or Village Green Park.