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Rotary one light closer to lighting up the trail

The Rotary Trail is about to get a little bit brighter as the Rotary Club moves forward with their fundraising goals.
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The Rotary Trail is about to get a little bit brighter as the Rotary Club moves forward with their fundraising goals.

The initiative really began to gain ground in the winter, and since then the Rotary Club has been working hard to secure funding for the purchase and installation of 10 additional lights along the river from the Municipal Campground to Fisher Road, which leads to the airport.

Their goal became closer in reach this week with a donation from Bellstar Hotels and Resorts, with their cheque of $12,274.

That number might sound a bit odd, but it is the exact cost of one solar powered light to be installed along the trail, explained Rotarian Lori Baxendale, who is also a Bellstar employee.

“That’s one whole light paid for. As we were doing the fundraising, we told the people that were providing funding that we will recognize them on the lights. So now on this light post, for one of them, it will have the Bellstar logo on it. It will last for a long time,” Baxendale said.

Bellstar has had a presence in Golden for around 10 years, with their Kicking Horse Lodging brand, and Baxendale has worked for the company for a number of years. The company has an initiative called Stay Green, and has grant funds available for projects in the communities they operate out of. Bellstar marketing manager Eric Gooden says projects like lighting up trails with solar powered lights fall right into the guiding principles of the initiative.

“It is our corporate social responsibility program, and that encompasses everything from our environmental policies on our products we use in our hotel rooms and cleaning products behind the scenes and that sort of thing, and then it extends to this new portion of that program,” Gooden explained. “Essentially, twice a year we’re on a lookout in the communities that we work in for a deserving cause that we’re able to support. We believe in being good stewards in our communities and good neighbours.”

The Rotary Club is fundraising to purchase and install 10 additional lights along the riverside path that connects Golden east and west. In March, the Rotary Club had already raised $30,000 toward their $150,000 goal. The Town of Golden agreed to donate $37,000 in kind contributions toward the installation of the lights. And, for the past three years, town council has budgeted the funds to install one additional light each year.

There are currently two solar powered lights on either side of the pedestrian bridge.

“It’s pretty amazing to come here and see how much it is valued in a community,” Gooden said.

Gooden came to Golden to meet with Baxendale and Town of Golden Mayor Ron Oszust last week, presenting them with a large cheque.

When Baxendale received the news that the Rotary Club would receive the donation for one light from Bellstar, she was overwhelmed with appreciation.

“On so many different levels from being a part of our community and wanting this to happen for Rotary and as being an employee of Bellstar too, I was just so proud to be an employee of a company that would bring that kind of money into our community. I just can’t stop smiling,” she said.

The Rotary Club is still waiting to hear about a few more grant requests, but Baxendale is hopeful the club will reach their funding goal soon.

“Bellstar Hotels Resort is a shining light within our community, pun intended,” Oszust said.