Evergreen Receives $25,000 Award from First Interstate Bank to Support Trail Restoration Efforts
Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance is proud to announce that our organization has been selected as a recipient of a $25,000 grant from the First Interstate BancSystem Foundation as part of their fifth-annual “Believe in Local” grant campaign.
This generous contribution comes at a critical time for Evergreen's East Chapter and the Spokane community following the June Upriver Fire, which burned more than 200 acres and forced the closure of Camp Sekani at Beacon Hill. The funding will support Evergreen's trail builders and volunteers as they restore damaged trails, helping reopen Spokane's most popular mountain biking area safely while ensuring its trails remain sustainable for years to come.
“After the recent Upriver Fire, the work required to restore our trails at Beacon Hill is significant,” said Melinda DuPree, East Chapter President of Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. “This support from First Interstate Bank helps us keep doing what we do best: building and maintaining the trails that bring people together and make Eastern Washington one of the best places to ride. I'd also like to thank Jane Patten and the Biking Betties for their support of Evergreen and the MTB community. Their dedication and advocacy helped make this opportunity possible, and we're incredibly grateful.”
The “Believe in Local” grant program honors First Interstate Bank’s longstanding commitment to the communities it serves. Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance was nominated for this award by First Interstate employee and Loan Servicing Manager Bethany Medina, who recognized the impact of the organization’s work on the local Spokane community.
“Believe in Local has been a cornerstone of who we are for five years now,” Medina said, “and it never gets old to celebrate nonprofit organizations like Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance that are making a real difference in the places we all call home. Spokane is better because of the work they do, and First Interstate is proud to invest in that mission.”
First Interstate launched the Believe in Local campaign in 2022 to celebrate the Bank’s longstanding commitment to the communities it serves. Each year, 40 nonprofit organizations across the Bank’s 10-state footprint receive a $25,000 gift in support of their mission. That results in a total of $1 million given to nonprofits in the Bank’s communities. Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance was selected from a pool of over 640 nominations thanks to its alignment with the Bank’s philanthropic goals.