December e-news

Give A Katy Trail Christmas Gift

You face the dilemma every year: what to give to that hard-to-buy-for person on your Christmas list. Problem solved! Give them something they can use every day of the year – a membership to the Friends of the Katy Trail. Your gift membership will help keep the Katy Trail a great place to run, walk or ride a bike.
Take advantage of the special membership offer. Receive a Friends of the Katy Trail T-shirt with each membership of $50 or more. Normally, T-shirts are only given at the $250 level.

As a bonus, gift memberships come with a 15 percent discount at all Luke’s Locker locations until Dec. 31, 2010 (the offer excludes sale items, Garmin products, watches, sunglasses, strollers and heart rate monitors and no other discounts apply).
Along with their T-shirts, gift recipients will receive a letter informing them of the great membership you gave them.

Click here to give your gift membership. And while you’re at it, be sure to join yourself (or renew your membership). If you have any questions, please email Santa's little helper Ashleigh Falk at ashleigh@katytraildallas.org.

First Ever Annual Support Campaign Raises More than 90,000

The first Annual Support Campaign came to a close at the end of November.Heartfelt thank-you's go out to all of our donors and volunteers, we would not have been successful with out your time and efforts. More than $90,000 was raised for the ongoing maintenance and management of the Katy Trail. After all, the Katy Trail relies on private donations for 90 percent of the annual cost to maintain it.

Their generosity will help keep the Katy Trail a clean, safe and beautiful place to walk, run, bike or just sit. A special thank you to our major donors: Jeff Jackson and Sally Warren, Balfour Beatty, David Demarest, Patty and Andy Smith, Jonie Rose, Sarofim Realty Advisors, Tony Dona, Vantage Realty Holdings, and Deedie and Rusty Rose.

This was the first year for the Annual Support Campaign, which was established to provide additional stability to the operating budget. As its title says, it will be back next year in September. (We’re already looking for volunteers, so if you’re interested in helping contact Robin Baldock at Robin@KatyTrailDallas.org. )

Safety Tips

Here’s a reminder about the ways to make your visit to the Katy Trail safe and enjoyable this holiday season:
• Keep to the right.
• Announce “passing on left.”
• Always look both ways before moving across the Trail.
• Watch your speed and remain in control at all times. When cycling, keep a 3-feet distance between pedestrians.
• Use headphones responsibly by keeping the volume down and only using one ear piece. After all, our ears can help keep us safe.
• Watch children carefully and keep them close.
• Keep pets on a short leash and clean up after them.
• Use the soft surface designated for pedestrians when running or walking.
• Go single file down the Trail when with a group.
• Stop to look for traffic before crossing at Knox and Harvard streets.

It’s the Season to Give

The holidays are coming fast, as is the end of the year. It’s a great time to get into the spirit of the season and make a year-end donation to the Friends of the Katy Trail. After all, the Katy Trail is connecting the people and places of Dallas. While the City of Dallas owns the Trail, it’s up to the people who use and enjoy it to sustain it through their donations.
Please give a year-end gift now by going here. And remember, donations are tax deductible.

Curious About the Lights?

The lights turn on every morning at 5 a.m. and turn off on sunrise. In the evening they come on at 5 p.m. and turn off at 10 p.m.
The lights are controlled by 9 timers located throughout the trail. These timers are quite sensitive, so it is possible that certain sections may turn on or off by a couple of minutes before or after their adjacent section does. Every effort has been made to keep the lights in sync as much as possible.

There are 162 lights on the Katy Trail. The electricity is paid for by membership contributions to the Friends of the Katy Trail. If you are not a member, but enjoy using the Katy Trail in the early morning or after dark, please consider doing your part to help pay for the lights by becoming a member of the Friends of the Katy Trail. If you notice a light is out, please email Ashleigh@Katytraildallas.org and she'll inform our Trail Manager, Bill Williams.

Katy’s List (of likes, wants and just because)

- The members of the Friends of the Katy Trail who make so much possible
- A January member's event to kick off 2011 -- look for details soon
- Cold, rain or wind our Trail Manager, Bill Williams, weathers the storm for our members
- Happy holidays and the best for the New Year!

Need an Internship?

Students and recent grads: are you looking for an internship for next semester? Do you want to gain extremely valuable non-profit, events, fundraising, corporate relations, and PR experience? If you or someone you know is interested in interning at the Katy Trail, please have them send their resume to Ashleigh Falk at ashleigh@katytraildallas.org.

Follow Us and Get the Latest News
We want you to be a friend of The Katy Trail on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Friends-of-the-Katy-Trail/460263880013. Get all the latest news on our blog!! http://www.katytraildallas.blogspot.com/

Have a question about anything Katy Trail related? Get an answer by asking KT. Click here to Ask KT.

Happy Holidays from the Friends of the Katy Trail! And Happy Trails to You in 2010!