Save your D&W or Family Fare receipts! We’re raising money to fund our Kids Biking Initiative through Direct Your Dollars  

Top of Michigan Trails Council is committed to continue our educational bike outings for fourth graders through 2022.  Now, through Direct Your Dollars, we have a new and exciting way to raise money to accomplish that goal!

Direct Your Dollars is a receipt-based program, meaning that we can raise money simply by doing something we all do each week – shop for groceries.

Every time you shop at your local SpartanNash store (D&W Fresh Market or Family Fare), save your receipts – and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Once we’ve collected $150,000 in receipts from these stores, we can turn those slips of paper into a $1,000 check for Kids Biking!

To reach our goal of $150,000 in receipts, we’ll be collecting eligible receipts in our Direct Your Dollars box. The box has the DYD logo on it, and it’s located on the windowsill on the front porch of the Trails Center. Please make sure you drop off the original receipt – that’s how we earn our $1,000 check.

If you aren’t able to drop your receipts off in person, you can also mail them to 1687 M 119, Petoskey, MI 49770.

Through the Direct Your Dollars program, we can turn your D&W or Family Fare receipts into cash—to help kids experience the joy of biking on our trails!

November 2018: A program that gets Emmet County fourth graders outdoors on bikes on a local trail has received support from the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) of the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation. The Kids Biking Initiative is a program of Top of Michigan Trails Council of Petoskey, and is part of their mission to encourage use of their network of over 300 miles of multi-use trails in Northern Michigan.

The program began in 2017 with financial assistance from a PHSACF grant, and has successfully led over 500 students in class field trips in 2017 and 2018. Over 300 students (from 15 fourth-grade classes) are slated to enjoy field trips in May 2019. Classes meet at Spring Lake Park in Petoskey, and take part in learning experiences before and during their eight-mile round trip ride on the North Western State Trail to the Oden Fish Hatchery.

The program was conceived by Cindy Okerlund, a retired teacher, who is the program director. Okerlund has committed to continuing the program beyond its initial three-year pilot period, and the funds from the Community Foundation will be used to purchase and maintain a fleet of 28 bicycles (previously leased)  for use by students involved in the program through 2022.

This grant was awarded from the Foundation’s Fund for Youth, along with a gift from the Ted and Brenda Frey Donor Advised Fund.

For more information about the Kids Biking program, visit /kids-biking-initiative/, or contact the Trails Council at 231-348-8280.

This is the third in a series of outings for kids ages 7 – 12 this July! This outing will originate at the Packy Offield Trail Center, 1687 M 119 in Petoskey. Kids may bring their own bike helmets, but will use a bike from our fleet of kids bikes. Before they ride they will be fitted for a bike and helmet, learn a number of bike safety rules, and learn about their route by studying a map of the route to their destination.

For this outing, the group will pedal from the Top of Michigan Trails Council headquarters along the North Western State Trail.  After 3.5 miles, they’ll reach their destination: the Oden State Fish Hatchery. Staff there will give the group a tour, followed by a break with a healthy snack and water before the trip back to the Trail Center. Overall, this trip will be about 7 miles round trip.

This program is carefully and thoughtfully planned by our Kids Biking Coordinator, Cindy Okerlund. Adult volunteers accompany kids on these outings.  If you have questions, please feel free to email Cindy. Don’t wait to register–these sessions fill up fast!

Parents can register their kids here

This is the first of a series of outings for kids ages 7 – 12 this July! For this summer’s series of kids’ outings, we will meet at the Bay View Boys’ and Girls’ Club Site (Swift Field). These outings are open to Bay View kids and kids from the community (first come, first served).

Kids bring their own bikes and helmets, and before they ride they learn a number of bike safety rules, have their bikes inspected, learn to adjust their helmets, and learn about their route by studying a map of the route to their destination. This first outing will offer kids a chance to do a pedaling parade through Bay View, a distance of about 3 miles. Even Bay View kids will learn something new about this neighborhood!

This program is carefully and thoughtfully planned by our Kids Biking Coordinator, Cindy Okerlund. Adult volunteers accompany kids on these outings.  If you have questions, please feel free to email Cindy. Don’t wait to register–these sessions fill up fast!

Parents can register their kids here

A flyer describing our summer outings: 18 KidsBiking flyer

PLEASE NOTE: This session is full! There are openings for the July 25 outing to Oden Fish Hatchery.

This is the second in a series of outings for kids ages 7 – 12 this July! For this summer’s series of kids’ outings, we will meet at the Bay View Boys’ and Girls’ Club Site (Swift Field). These outings are open to Bay View kids and kids from the community (first come, first served).

Kids bring their own bikes and helmets, and before they ride they learn a number of bike safety rules, have their bikes inspected, learn to adjust their helmets, and learn about their route by studying a map of the route to their destination.

For this outing the group will depart from Swift Field and wind down to cross US 31 at the traffic light at Stafford’s Bay View Inn. From there they’ll ride the Little Traverse Wheelway out to East Park for a nature scavenger hunt game. A light healthy snack and water will be provided before pedaling back to Bay View. The length of this outing will be approximately six miles round trip.

This program is carefully and thoughtfully planned by our Kids Biking Coordinator, Cindy Okerlund. Adult volunteers accompany kids on these outings.  If you have questions, please feel free to email Cindy. Don’t wait to register–these sessions fill up fast!

A flyer describing our summer outings: 18 KidsBiking flyer

Bike from the flowing artesian well in Conway, all the way to Alanson for a self-propelled ferry ride to explore the Sanctuary Island Park. Bring your bike and helmet, and meet up with the group in Conway, where you’ll learn a number of bike safety rules, have Your bikes inspected, learn to adjust your helmets, and learn about the route by studying a map of the route to your destination. A special treat on the way back – a stop for ice cream! This will be a 10-mile round trip.

This program is carefully and thoughtfully planned by our Kids Biking Coordinator, Cindy Okerlund. Adult volunteers accompany kids on these outings. Don’t wait to register–these sessions fill up fast!

Event flyer here

Parents can register their kids here

Kids Biking Club – Biking to the Bear

Kids ages 7 – 12 are invited to this FREE morning activity. Bring your own bikes and helmets to the Packy Offield Trail Center. Before the ride you’ll  learn a number of bike safety rules, have your bikes inspected, learn to adjust their helmets, and learn about your route by studying a map of the route to your destination. This week’s outing is to the Bear River Recreation Area–about a 5-mile round trip. After you get to your destination you’ll be challenged by a nature scavenger hunt.

This outing is led by our Kids Biking Coordinator, Cindy Okerlund. Adult volunteers accompany kids on these outings. Don’t wait to register–these sessions fill up fast!

Parents can register their kids here

This is the first of a series of outings for kids ages 7 – 12 this July! Kids bring their own bikes and helmets, and before the ride they learn a number of bike safety rules, have their bikes inspected, learn to adjust their helmets, and learn about their route by studying a map of the route to their destinations. This first outing is to McLean & Eakin Bookstore, about a five-mile round trip. At the bookstore we’ll look over a collection of books about bikes and biking.

This program is carefully and thoughtfully planned by our Kids Biking Coordinator, Cindy Okerlund. Adult volunteers accompany kids on these outings. Don’t wait to register–these sessions fill up fast!

Parents can register their kids here