Volunteers to Collect Change on the Montour Trail

Frank Keppel, of the Montour Trail Council, said a little bit of pocket change makes all the difference. 

"Everybody has spare change and pennies around the house," he said. "This is our big fundraiser for the year and as a local group the money we get here stays on the trail here." 

Volunteers will collect pennies and donations from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Montour Trail's gazebo at the corner of Montour Run Road and Park Manor Boulevard as a part of its 16th annual Penny Day. The annual event raises money for trail maintenance along its first 11 miles, which snakes through the Pittsburgh airport region. 

The organization hopes to raise $3,500 for the trail during the event. 

"The money's used for maintenance of the trail," Keppel said. "Fence repair, gasoline, mowers, paint."

Keppel said an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people visit the trail on a typical Saturday, making it one of the most frequented destination points in Western Allegheny County, alongside Pittsburgh International and the Mall at Robinson. 

Volunteers will award prizes to donors who bring in the heaviest container of pennies. 

"We want people to bring pennies in bulk," he said. "Old cans, coffee cans, whoever drops off the most pennies and leaves their name and number will get a prize from a local business." 

Spanning nearly 60 miles, the multi-use Montour Trail, which runs through portions of Moon Township, is the largest suburban former train rail area converted to a trail in the country. It is a part of the 400-mile Great Allegheny Passage, which extends from the Pittsburgh area to Washington, D.C. 

"On any given Saturday or Sunday's it's heavily used," Keppel said of the local portion of the trail. "Runners, walkers, bikers, you name it."