Mississippi River Trail Inc. Executive Director Terry Eastin announced today that the McKnight Foundation of Minneapolis, MN (www.mcknight.org) has awarded Mississippi River Trail, Inc. (MRT) a grant of $150,000, payable over three years. "The current year's grant of $50,000 ($25,000 initially and $25,000 to be awarded after MRT, Inc. raises $25,000 as a donor match) will support route development and promotion of the Mississippi River Trail. The grant will allow MRT, Inc. to continue expanding it’s program in three significant areas: organizational development, route development, and encouraging use.

The Mississippi River Trail connects 123 counties and 400 communities in ten states. By building substantial partnerships with local communities, offering technical assistance in route development, supporting federal and state funding requests, and encouraging users from across the world to explore all or specific parts of the route, MRT will continue the grassroots efforts that have been the signature of the organization since its inception eleven years ago.

Established in 1995 by the Lower Mississippi Delta Development Commission to develop and promote a bicycling route along the Mississippi River in the Delta region, the project was expanded to include all ten states in 2001. In the 2005 Congressional reauthorization $36.5 million worth of special earmarks were awarded to segments of the trail. MRT will continue working to create and foster substantial relationships with corporate entities, foundations, and other nonprofit organizations whose mission and goals correlate with MRT’s triple bottom line trail development model. The model illustrates how trails positively impact community health and wellness, economic development, and environmental conservation.