Carson Valley Trails Association raises $9,000 at Genoa event

More than 230 people attended the Carson Valley Trails Association's second annual Hike for Health fundraiser in Genoa on Tuesday.

"There's incredible beauty in the mountains around here," said CVTA member Jeremy Vlcan amid the hooting and hollering of a live auction. "People want trails, and they want access to public land."

CVTA president Kerstin Wolle reported the event, which included both silent and live auctions and a raffle, raised $9,000. She said the money will go towards a new trail system connecting Adams, Sierra and Genoa canyons to Pine Basin off Kingsbury Grade and the Tahoe Rim Trail.

The nonprofit, all-volunteer organization is currently in the process of connecting the Job's Peak Trail to the Faye-Luther Trail, paralleling Foothill Road.

"Things are moving along nicely," said Wolle. "There are some sections where rock needs to be removed."

Vlcan said CVTA received a grant for educational signage and benches along Faye-Luther Trail.

"There is a high demand for this, and we are only providing what the community is asking for," said Vlcan. "We have one picture of the Faye-Luther trail head parking lot with six horse trailers and 27 cars in it."

Also attending the event were the winners of CVTA's art contest.

"The children were so sweet," Wolle said.

More than 200 posters from grades one to 12 were entered in the contest. Themes were trails, nature and hiking.

Thomas Rao, a second grader at Scarselli Elementary School, took first place in the first- through third-grade division. Cole Pinther, a fifth grader at Minden Elementary School, took first place for the fourth- through sixth-grade division.

Reena Spansail, a ninth grader at Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School, took first place for the seventh- through ninth-grade division.

Heather Lathrop, a senior at Douglas High School, won first place for the 10th- through 12th-grade division. Annika Peterson, a sixth grader at Piñon Hills Elementary School, won Best in Show.

Honorable mentions included second-grader Lauren Wilsey of Piñon Hills, third grader Aspen Kidd of Zephyr Cove Elementary School, fifth grader Sedona Eubank from Minden Elementary and Whittell High School senior Wendy Barrientos. Iverdel Roger M. Ecobisag, a first grader at Gardnerville Elementary School, received a creative mention.

Peterson received a $100 cash prize, and first place winners each received $50. Honorable mentions received backpacks.

Winning posters will be displayed at the Douglas County Public Library in Minden.

CVTA is hosting its next strategic plan meeting 6 to 9 p.m. May 8 at 1030 Lakeside Drive in Gardnerville. Call 265-3736 for more information or visit www.carsonvalleytrails.org.