Buffalo, N.Y. – The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo announced the inaugural 2025 Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trails Maintenance Fund for Western New York grant awards totaling more than $602,000.
Grants from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trails Maintenance Fund for Western New York are as follows:
- $51,000 awarded to IMPACT: Friends Improving Allegany County Trails, Inc. for “Trail 3 and 4 Connectivity Project on the West Almond Trail System” which will make drainage and trail tread improvements to trails on the West Almond Trail System
- $181,086 awarded to Friends of Webster Trails, Inc. for the “Hojack Trail Renewal Project,” which will resurface, improve access to, and add amenities to the Hojack Trail in Monroe County
- $220,172 awarded to Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy for “Ralph Wilson Park: Porter Ave. Entrance Access” to serve as a connector to the Shoreline Trail
- $125,000 awarded to the Natural Heritage Trust for the resurfacing of sections along the Genesee Valley Greenway that have been improved through previous and current work reconstructing several bridges and culverts along the trail in Allegany County
- $25,000 to support the City of Buffalo for the new 4th Street Park Pedestrian Bridge and park shared paths
Mark Mistretta, Niagara Region Director for NYS Parks and Chair of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trails Maintenance Endowment Fund Advisory Committee, said, “Each year, the regional trails in Western New York provide wonderful opportunities for residents and visitors alike to get outside and enjoy the natural beauty of our region. The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trails Maintenance Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo is pleased to support the ongoing maintenance that, along with additional ongoing investments, will help ensure that Western New Yorkers continue to benefit from these trails and greenways today and well into the future.”
Awards from this fund are specifically for capital maintenance projects that will address circumstances where intervention is required to ensure that the trail or greenway can continue to function effectively and provide users with the recreation experience and community connectivity that was envisioned when the trail or greenway was developed.
To learn more, visit https://www.cfgb.org/nonprofits/grants/ralph-c-wilson-jr-trails[1]maintenance-fund-for-western-new-york/
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About the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
For more than a century, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo has enhanced and encouraged long-term philanthropy in the Western New York community. A 501 (c)(3) organization, the Community Foundation’s mission is: Connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York. Established in 1919, the Community Foundation has made the most of the generosity of individuals, families, foundations and organizations who entrust charitable assets to the Community Foundation’s care. Learn more at cfgb.org.
About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trails Maintenance Fund
In 2018, as part of the 100th anniversary of Ralph Wilson, Jr.’s birth and celebration of his legacy and community devotion, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation announced a $100 million Parks & Trails initiative in Western New York, which included allocating $10 million toward the sustainability of regional trails. In 2022, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation fulfilled this commitment by establishing the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trails Maintenance Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, an endowed fund to provide support for reconstruction, restoration, rehabilitation, and maintenance projects that benefit Western New York trails and greenways.