Park gets money from race
Park gets money from race By NATALEE SEELY POSTED: August 18, 2009 in Parkersburg's News and Sentinel
PARKERSBURG - Despite decreased sponsor support for the May 2009 Challenge at Mountwood bike race, River Valley Mountain Biking Association presented a $2,500 check to Mountwood Park Monday evening.
The annual Challenge at Mountwood race usually brings in about $5,000, but due to low sponsorship during the recession, the event brought in $4,000 this year, said Duane Jones, race director for the River Valley Mountain Biking Association.
In an agreement between Mountwood Park and the River Valley Mountain Biking Association, half of what the biking group earns at the race is given to the park. Even though the group did not earn its usual $5,000 this year, Jones said members were happy to give Mountwood Park more than half of the earnings.
"Despite the rainy weather we had this year, and the low support for sponsors, the event was still a success," Jones said Monday evening. "We have given the park $2,500 almost every year, so we decided to do it again this year, even though we didn't quite reach $5,000."
The race includes top riders from the West Virginia Mountain Bike Association's Point Series and the Ohio Mountain Biking Championships' Point Series that compete on Mountwood Park trails for cash, points and prizes.
"The race always pulls in a large crowd," Jones said. "This past year we had 173 bikers even though it was wet and rainy."
Members of the River Valley Mountain Biking Association maintain more than 35 miles of biking trails at Mountwood Park.
"The park is important to us," Jones said. "Giving this money every year and volunteering our time to make sure the trails stay maintained is our way of giving back to the park."
River Valley bikers are already planning next year's Challenge at Mountwood.
"My idea is to have some kind of biking event for the kids on the Saturday before the race next year," Jones said. "Hopefully, a two-day event like that will draw more people into Mountwood and encourage them to stay the weekend, rather than just coming for the race on Sunday and leaving."
The Friends of Mountwood, a group of volunteers who support the park, accepted the check Monday evening.
"This race is always a big event for us," said Peggy Squires, president of Friends of Mountwood Park. "We appreciate their work."
In other park business:
The Natural Resources Committee recommended that during regular doe hunting season, a three-day period be set aside for hunting with high-powered firearms. Board members said the park must be closed to the public during those three days, and hunters must follow the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources' regulations.
Board President Bobby Akers said the usual fee of $18 for adults could be raised for individuals who plan on using high-powered rifles. The fee increase would control the number of hunters, Akers said. "If we want to make a dent in the deer population, which causes wear and tear in the park, this is the way to do it," Akers said.
