A Night of Community, Connection, and Support for Eastrail
The end of September brings changing leaves, shifting weather, and Eastrail Partners’ annual End-of-Summer Fundraiser. This past week, more than 100 community supporters gathered on the rooftop terrace of Amazon’s Everest building for appetizers, sweeping views, networking, and three distinct perspectives on “Why Eastrail Matters.”
The room laughed when Deling shared that his “couch-potato coworker” started biking to work because Eastrail made the commute accessible. Cheers erupted as Keri described how Eastrail and the Grand Connection Crossing will transform our region. Ed added an important historical perspective, reminding us that this monumental trail corridor also holds deep meaning for many community members as a former rail line. Together, the three panelists showed—in personal, regional, and historical terms—why Eastrail matters.
As the nonprofit partner that unifies and galvanizes the Eastrail effort, Eastrail Partners relies on donors to drive advocacy, build community, and engage the private sector. We began the evening with a $5,500 matching gift from Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial and an anonymous Eastrail Partners board member. Thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of those in the room, we quickly met the match. By the end of the night, our community and event sponsors had helped raise more than $35,000.
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Eastrail Partners staff and board members are dedicated to putting these funds to work by creating more opportunities for community co-creation and helping secure the funding needed to complete the trail northward. We’re excited to continue this work with you. Thank you for being our partner, we can’t wait to see you out on the trail. If we missed you last week and you’d like to contribute to making 2027 a great year for Eastrail, you can donate here.
