The Syracuse-Wawasee Trail Committee has been awarded a $20,000 matching grant from the K21 Health Foundation based in Warsaw.  The funds are to be used for the construction of a pedestrian bridge across McConnell Ditch.  When completed it will connect West Pickwick Dr. and East Pickwick Dr. and will be a part of the Trail system connecting the Wawasee Village area to Wawasee Heights and the high school.

As it is a one-for-one matching grant, the Trail Committee must raise $20,000 in order to receive the full amount that the K21 Health Foundation has awarded.  The Committee plans to contact area businesses, service organizations and neighborhoods in an effort to enlist community participation in the fund raising, particularly among those groups which will be closest to the route.

For several years the Syracuse Parker Hannifin management team and the Trail Committee have been working together to arrive at an agreement which will allow the trial access through Parker Hannifin’s south parking.  It is believed such an agreement is very close.

Additionally, the Trail Committee is in preliminary discussions with the Town of Syracuse, INDOT and USI, an Indianapolis based engineering firm, regarding the feasibility of adding a  pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of Pickwick Drive and State Route 13.

The Trail Committee’s goal is to provide the community with a safe, secure pedestrian trail system which connects the town with the lakes areas.  The K21 Health Foundation is a private foundation which focuses on opportunities to improve health and wellness for the citizens of Kosciusko County. This is the third grant that has been awarded to the Syracuse-Wawasee Parks Foundation by K21 since 2002 when the Trails Committee was formed.

If you’d like more information you may contact Chad Jonsson, Superintendent of Parks and Recreation, at the Syracuse-Wawasee Community Center or visit the website at www.syracusewawaseetrails.com.