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Springville-Concord Friends gathered in person for the first time since the COVID pandemic on Saturday, February 4th - the coldest day yet of the winter season! < Back Springville-Concord Friends Group Gathers Deb Fenn Feb 4, 2023 Springville-Concord Friends gathered in person for the first time since the COVID pandemic on Saturday, February 4th - the coldest day yet of the winter season! Friends leader Mary Carol Dearing offered a warm welcome at 5 Leaf Clover restaurant, located near the Pop Warner section of the Springville trail. The group discussed recent trail updates as well as opportunities for trail-focused events, improvements and community involvement. The Friends then took to the trail for a brisk winter walk from the Depot north past some vibrant trailside murals. Thanks to a grant from the Cullen Foundation in concert with the Springville Center for the Arts, this section will soon feature the first sculpture installation on what is envisioned to become Sculpture Alley along the trail. Look for this and other happenings this spring on this open, active section of trail! Previous Next

Orchard Park North trail section spruced up. < Back Volunteer Crew Clears Weeds Kathleen McCrone Aug 14, 2023 Orchard Park North trail section spruced up. An energetic group of ECRT volunteers spent an evening on the trail recently to cut back the weeds that were encroaching on the trail. A lot was accomplished in just one evening and we're very grateful that we have such hardworking volunteers. Trail users and adjacent homeowners appreciated the trail crew's clean up efforts, too. You can help build your trail in a variety of ways by becoming a volunteer! Learn more at ecattrail.org/volunteer . Previous Next

National Trails Day 2024 It was a spectacular day to celebrate National Trails Day Year: 2024 Previous Next

< Back Francis Hogenkamp Previous Next

Celebrate National Trails Day with a walk on the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail! < Back Orchard Park Trail Walk Deborah Stellrecht Jun 1, 2024 Celebrate National Trails Day with a walk on the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail! We will start at the historic Orchard Park Train depot and go as far as Ellicott Road in Aurora (a distance of 3 miles), then turn around and come back - for a total distance of 6 miles. Plan on 1.5 hours for the complete walk. For those who prefer a shorter walk , You can turn around at Jewett-Holmwood Rd instead, for a total distance of 2 miles. Be sure to wear sturdy footwear. Families with kids! There will be a little scavenger hunt available for the kids on a short stretch of the trail near the depot. Children under 16 should be accompanied by an adult. Upon your return to the depot, finish your celebration of the trail with an ice cream treat. We hope to see you there! (Rain or shine) Register by May 30th at https://NTDWalk2024.eventbrite.com ! Parking is available at the depot and at the ECRT Bank Street lot . After your Trail Walk and ice cream, you're all invited to Sprague Brook Park for the Brews Blues & BBQ party hosted by our friends at 42 North Brewing Company for some great food, drink and music! Previous Next

It took a village to save Patrick Raycraft's life < Back EA2EVL Fondo Rider Makes Comeback from Cardiac Arrest Deborah Stellrecht May 1, 2025 It took a village to save Patrick Raycraft's life Patrick Raycraft (Above center, in the red & white jersey) was an experienced rider enjoying ECRT’s EA2EVL Fondo charity bike ride on October 5, 2024, when, near the 32-mile mark, he knew he was experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. As luck would have it, he spotted a spectator and his pickup truck parked at the side of the road, and he asked to be driven back to the previous water stop, the Ashford Community Center in West Valley. Once there, emergency responders were called, while Fondo volunteers found some aspirin for Patrick, and a cardiac nurse who was also riding the Fondo tended to him until the ambulance arrived. Patrick was unconscious at this point and he now says, “The next thing I recall is waking up in a helicopter, banking to the left.” After he was stabilized at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital in Springville, Patrick was flown by Mercy Flight to Buffalo General Medical Center / Gates Vascular Institute , where he then received critical cardiac care. He had suffered a massive heart attack and cardiac arrest. Only 10% of patients survive heart events such as his. The Impella heart pump The world’s smallest heart pump, the Impella , was implanted. This tiny pump, developed by Abiomed (Johnson & Johnson), allows the heart to rest and recover by temporarily assisting the pumping function of the heart to efficiently deliver blood and oxygen to the entire body. Patrick spent 16 days in BGMC/GVI, before being transferred to a Hartford, CT, hospital near his home where he spent an additional 10 days. His health today is the result of countless hours of nursing care, physical therapy, yoga, acupuncture, mental health therapy and other therapies, and he’s extremely grateful to everyone who helped him, from the day of his health crisis to today. Patrick displays what's left of his riding jersey from that fateful day. 6 months later, on April 4th 2025, Patrick returned to the BGMC/GVI to be reunited with and thank many of the people of his care team, including Dr. Vijay Iyer and nursing staff; plus support teams from West Valley Volunteer Hose Company, Mercy Flight, Bertrand Chaffee Hospital and Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home , and Johnson & Johnson MedTech Heart Recovery , the maker of his implanted heart pump. Patrick reunited with his care team All of us at ECRT are so thankful and thrilled that Patrick survived this medical crisis and has fully recovered. He is already planning to ride in the 2025 EA2EVL Fondo on October 4, 2025! Enjoy more photos of the reunion at BGMC/GVI on Flickr at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjC7MYp . (Photos by Kaleida Health) Previous Next

Memorial garden to be dedicated to former troop leaders < Back Junior Scouts Break Ground Deb Fenn May 7, 2023 Memorial garden to be dedicated to former troop leaders Junior Scouts from Troop 34218, working on their Bronze Award, broke ground today on a memorial wild flower garden at ECRT's Jewett Holmwood Road trail entrance. The garden will be dedicated to the memory of 2 former troop leaders who recently passed. Thank you for beautifying our trail! #GirlScoutStrong #eriecattaraugusrailtrail Previous Next

Orchard Park Trail Opening Day Photos from the Grand Opening of the Orchard Park Village Trail section Year: 2023 Previous Next

42 North & Ellicottville Brewing Company collaborated to create a unique beer celebrating the EA2EVL Fondo. < Back EA2EVL Pale Ale is here! Beth Lasky Jul 12, 2023 42 North & Ellicottville Brewing Company collaborated to create a unique beer celebrating the EA2EVL Fondo. 42 North Brewing Company & Ellicottville Brewing Company have collaborated to create a unique beer celebrating the EA2EVL Fondo , the 42-mile bike ride from East Aurora to Ellicottville which benefits the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail, Inc. each year. ECRT board members helped out with the packaging in mid-July at 42 North in East Aurora, and had a great time! Get yours today in the taproom and look for this collab at local bars and on shelves at craft beer retailers from EA2EVL! Sign up to ride, volunteer or donate at https://www.givesignup.org/Race/NY/EastAurora/EA2EVLFondo ! Previous Next

ECRT to Share Results of Community Input at Celebration in Orchard Park on Dec. 10th < Back Learn the Results of ECRT Community Meetings Mary Brummer Nov 26, 2024 ECRT to Share Results of Community Input at Celebration in Orchard Park on Dec. 10th The Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail (ECRT) organization invited area Southtowns residents to share their ideas about the 27-mile multiuse recreational trail at two community meetings in Orchard Park and Colden during the fall of 2024. SUNY Buffalo graduate students and faculty from the Urban Planning program facilitated these meetings and recorded the residents’ visions and concerns about the trail project. The information collected at these two community engagement meetings is intended to inform the design process as the recreational trail project continues. The UB personnel will present their collected information in a program that includes a series of vision boards illustrating various aspects of the trail project. “We are delighted that residents dedicated time to meet with us and share their ideas about the trail. Hearing all points of view helps us design the best trail for the community, and these vision boards provide a foundation for that design process,” said ECRT President Mary Brummer. All are welcome to attend this free community presentation and celebration, at the Orchard Park Community Activity Center , 4520 California Road, Orchard Park on Tuesday, December 10 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm . All are welcome to attend. Pre-registration is recommended - click here or scan the QR code below. This SUNY Buffalo/ECRT collaboration was assisted by a grant from the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation . Previous Next

Share your feedback by September 18th! < Back West Falls NY Forward Feedback Form Deb Fenn Sep 5, 2024 Share your feedback by September 18th! Thank you to each of you who were able to make it to the 2nd West Falls NY Forward Public Workshop on Wednesday, Sept. 4th. More than 50 attended! In addition to residents having the in-person opportunity to evaluate the 14 projects currently under consideration, there is an online project feedback form that residents can complete. The form will remain open until September 18th . Visit the project website at https://www.westfallsnyforward.com/ and select the Project Feedback button, or scan the QR code below. Previous Next

Jerry retired from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo at the end of 2019 after serving more than six years as the Foundation’s Chief Finance Office/Chief Administrative Officer. In that role Jerry had leadership of the following areas: Finance, Strategic Financial Management, Accounting, Investment/Asset Management, Business Analytics, Operations, Talent Management and Recruiting, Policies and Procedures, Enterprise Risk Management, Technology, Business Process Management, and Facilities. Before joining the Community Foundation, Jerry spent over 30 years in the field of public accounting, including 28 years with Dopkins and Company, LLP, where he was the Partner-in-charge of their Not-Profit-Industry Service Group. His primary focus was serving the not-for-profit and health care industries with a dedicated area of expertise in health and human services agencies. He provided audit, tax and consulting services to a majority of Buffalo’s largest not-for-profits entities and other large not-for-profits in Rochester and all across New York State. He is a retired member of the: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA); the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA); and the NYSSCPA’s Buffalo Chapter Not-for-Profit Committee. Jerry graduated from the University of Buffalo with a BS degree in Business Administration with concentrations in accounting and finance. Since March of 2013, Jerry has been providing consulting services to the WNY not-for-profit community as a sole practitioner. Jerry joined the ECRT Board in 2021 and serves on both the ECRT’s Finance and Development Committees. He joined the ECRT Board because he is passioned about having safe biking alternatives for the rural communities in WNY. In his free time Jerry enjoys hiking, biking, golf and guitar. < Back Gerald F. Reger Jerry retired from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo at the end of 2019 after serving more than six years as the Foundation’s Chief Finance Office/Chief Administrative Officer. In that role Jerry had leadership of the following areas: Finance, Strategic Financial Management, Accounting, Investment/Asset Management, Business Analytics, Operations, Talent Management and Recruiting, Policies and Procedures, Enterprise Risk Management, Technology, Business Process Management, and Facilities. Before joining the Community Foundation, Jerry spent over 30 years in the field of public accounting, including 28 years with Dopkins and Company, LLP, where he was the Partner-in-charge of their Not-Profit-Industry Service Group. His primary focus was serving the not-for-profit and health care industries with a dedicated area of expertise in health and human services agencies. He provided audit, tax and consulting services to a majority of Buffalo’s largest not-for-profits entities and other large not-for-profits in Rochester and all across New York State. He is a retired member of the: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA); the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA); and the NYSSCPA’s Buffalo Chapter Not-for-Profit Committee. Jerry graduated from the University of Buffalo with a BS degree in Business Administration with concentrations in accounting and finance. Since March of 2013, Jerry has been providing consulting services to the WNY not-for-profit community as a sole practitioner. Jerry joined the ECRT Board in 2021 and serves on both the ECRT’s Finance and Development Committees. He joined the ECRT Board because he is passioned about having safe biking alternatives for the rural communities in WNY. In his free time Jerry enjoys hiking, biking, golf and guitar. Previous Next