Trail Forum honors outstanding volunteers

In a first for the Thread Trail, three volunteers were recognized at the 17th annual Trail Forum conference in December. Leanne Mason and Paul Gocha were both awarded the Saxby Chaplin Volunteer of the Year Award, honoring the work they do as a team to steward the Duke Kimbrell Trail (formerly Seven Oaks Preserve Trail) in Belmont, NC. Between Leanne’s daily hikes along the trail and Paul’s swift cleanup response and chainsaw work, these two are a force to be reckoned with. In addition, Dr. Mike Reimann was named our very first Trail Champion of the Year, in recognition of his tireless work to advance trails in Stanly County, NC. Dr. Reimann’s advocacy for the Carolina Thread Trail helped make the Falcon Trail a reality, connecting the communities of Richfield and Misenheimer, NC.

In addition to honoring these incredible individuals, Trail Forum attendees enjoyed a robust slate of educational sessions during the event, as well as a lunch keynote address from author and cyclist Lisa Watts.

Photo by Jennifer Podis.