Frenchman Bay Conservancy was chosen as a recipient of the nationally competitive Athletic Brewing Company’s Two For The Trails grant program.

The $25,000 grant award will go towards the construction of an ADA-accessible trail at the future Jordan River Preserve, which FBC conserved in September 2023.

TRENTON, ME— In September 2023, Frenchman Bay Conservancy (FBC) closed on the former Bar Harbor Golf Course in Trenton, conserving 186 acres of coastal wetlands and forests that will become the future Jordan River Preserve. Now, thanks to the generous support of Athletic Brewing Company, FBC is one step closer to transforming this new property into an accessible preserve. 

FBC was selected out of a nationally competitive pool of applicants to receive funding from Athletic Brewing Company’s Two For The Trails grant program.  Launched in 2018, Two For The Trails is the largest annual environmental grant program in the craft beer industry. The program pays to Athletic Brewing co-founder and CEO Bill Shufelt’s family practice of toasting post-trail adventures with two brews. Athletic has committed to donating up to $2 million annually to help protect, preserve, and maintain local trails.

“Since 2018, we’ve donated $4.3 million to projects across 43 states, the United Kingdom, and Canada,” said Athletic Brewing B Corp & Two for the Trails Manager, Cara Wilson. “The Two For The Trails program allows us to provide essential funding to projects aimed at enhancing and protecting the quality of outdoor spaces in the communities where our customers live, work, and adventure.”

The $25,000 grant award FBC received will go towards the construction of a trail built to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards, which requires certain specifications for trail grade/slope, material, and more. A trail built to this standard will create outdoor recreation accessibility to residents and visitors of all abilities.

“We identified early on that the property’s history as a golf course lends itself well to this type of trail, and we are committed to making it happen,” shares Thomasina DiBiase, FBC’s Director of Development. “FBC’s goal is to create recreation opportunities for all of our members and neighbors, no matter their age or ability. Accessible trails will benefit families with strollers, visitors who use wheelchairs, and those with mobility limitations due to disabilities or injuries.”

The estimated cost of establishing the trail is around $100,000, with additional funds required to make sure the parking lot is equally accessible. FBC is continuing to fundraise for the trail as a part of their Watershed Moment for Frenchman Bay – From the Forest to the Sea campaign.

FBC plans to break ground during Summer 2024.

For questions or further information, please contact Thomasina DiBiase, FBC’s Director of Development, at thomasina@frenchmanbay.org; (207) 422-2328.

___________________________________

About Athletic Brewing Company 

Athletic Brewing, ounded in 2017 by Bill Shufelt and John Walker, is the 13th largest craft brewer in America and the leading producer of non-alcoholic craft beer. The company’s brews are distributed in all 50 states and available at over 50,000 retail stores nationwide. In 2023, Athletic was ranked as the 4th fastest-growing company in the Americas by Financial Times. Athletic was also ranked as the fastest-growing U.S. beverage manufacturer by Inc. Magazine in 2022, and named one of TIME’s “100 Most Influential Companies.” The company has won over 75 prestigious brewing awards and has earned the title of North American Brewer of the Year in the last four International Beer Challenge competitions. Athletic has custom breweries in Milford, Connecticut, and San Diego, and donates up to $2 million annually to protecting and restoring outdoor spaces across the globe via its Two For The Trails program. Athletic Brewing is proudly a Certified B Corporation™. Its full-flavored near beers and hop-infused sparkling waters are available on www.athleticbrewing.com.

In The News:

Frenchman Bay Conservancy receives $25,000 grant for accessible trail (Ellsworth American)

Frenchman Bay Conservancy receives $25,000 grant for accessible trail (MDIslander)

Frenchman Bay Conservancy Secures $25,000 Grant for ADA-Accessible Trail at Future Jordan River Preserve (NewsBreak)