Campus Connection

Athletics partnership with community businesses leads to new trail

A downpour didn’t dampen the showcase of one of La Crosse’s newest trails on Wednesday. The UWL athletics department, alongside the City of La Crosse Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department and 10 area businesses showed off the trailhead and brand-new sign for the “Building Champions Trail.” “It really was something we wanted to give back to the community, so it’s a way to enhance the places we live,” says Kim Blum, UWL Athletics Director. “We know La Crosse is active, so that’s a nice tie with what we do and that became something that made a lot of sense.” The trail is on the bluff, near the National Weather Service of La Crosse. It’s the first of three the Athletics Department is working to create. https://youtu.be/ntgzlljfw-g Proud partnerships The trail wouldn’t have happened without the local business support. All of them have a tie to building, something Blum intentionally sought out. “Our mission statement is ‘Building Champions. In Sport. In School. In life,’” she says. “We thought it would be a nice tie-in.” The local businesses are:

• Borton Construction
• F. Brennan
• First Supply LLC
• Fowler & Hammer Inc.
• Kish Electric
• Market & Johnson
• Mathy Construction Co.
• Modern Crane
• Schneider Heating & Air Conditioning
• Strupp Trucking/Redi-Mix

https://youtu.be/JZOTxOb6ChA Athletics also received a grant from the UWL Foundation. The Foundation’s support allowed for the department to seek out an art student to design and create the trailhead sign. Casey Liston, ’17, earned that honor. “Casey did an incredible job,” says Blum.