Ripon calls for all hands on the trails

The Ripon Red Hawks cycling team needs extra hands on a couple Saturdays to build two miles of single-track mountain bike trails on the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy.

The college won a $25,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project in August, and that money will pay for the professional trail design and the heavy equipment for the build out. With a tight time frame, though, the squad needs boots and hands on the ground to finish the work on April 30 and May 7.

"The more volunteers we can involve in the project, the sooner the project will be complete and the sooner people can begin to enjoy this new resource," said Ric Damm, head coach of the Ripon College cycling team.

"We are counting on the greater Ripon community and mountain bikers from around the region to step up and assist in the creation of this new recreational opportunity," Damm said. "This isn't intended to be Ripon College's mountain bike trail. This is intended to be a resource for everyone to enjoy."

The work sessions will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day.

As an added inducement, volunteers will be eligible for raffle prizes, including a 2011 Trek 6000 Mountain Bike.

For more information contact Ric at dammr@ripon.edu.