A perhaps misunderstood fact is that the Greenway does not have a steady flow of income to pay for improvements and additions. Bradley County government allocates a sum in their annual budget which in the past has been critical toward matching funds. Without it our community may have missed out on state funding for grants. The city of Cleveland also has a small fund which pays for such items as trash receptacles, bench repairs and replacements and other maintenance items.
Improvements and enhancements must come from donors who have a vision for the Greenway to be all it can be. The more than two dozen benches along the Greenway have come from individual donations. Two mini-parks, each with two benches, a small sidewalk and a marker, were donated by families and groups. More recently one family donated the funds to erect the first two historical markers along the Greenway.
There are other less expensive donations that have improved the Greenway. One donor recognized the need for bags to clean up after their pet. Soon there were three “Doggi-Pot” dispensers installed at strategic locations. Last year, a generous gift of 1,000 daffodil bulbs was received and they will now sprout up every spring along the Greenway. Many individuals and families have funded trees in honor of loved ones.
If you regularly use the Greenway and have an idea for something that would make the experience even more rewarding, let us know about it. In addition, if you have an idea for a donation, we would like to hear about that as well.
One example of a business recognizing a need and acting on it is the upcoming “Bike Bell Giveaway” sponsored by Scott’s Bikes. To raise awareness of bike safety on the Greenway, the local store is installing free bells on the first 150 bikes to show up on Sunday, July 31 at the Harlen Painter trailhead just off Harris Circle.
To contact the Greenway about giving opportunities or ideas, send an email to info@cbcgreenway.com or call 728-7105.
