When Suzanne Sippel died in the bicycle and truck collision that shook the community the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail lost a an advocate and friend who worked tirelessly in support of the trail. She was one of five who died June 7 as they rode together up a hill on a two-lane road in Cooper Township.
Suzanne had not been a longtime supporter but from the time she joined the Parks Foundation Board in 2015 she had an important role in the connections being made along the trail.
Suzanne and the Gull Lake Area Trail advocacy group originally contacted Kalamazoo River Valley Trail officials seeking a trail around Gull Lake. They wanted it to pass by MSU’s Kellogg Forest, a scenic destination for a picnic and walk along Augusta Creek, and continue to the south end of Gull Lake, from which it is just a short ride to the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary.
The group had engineering plans for the project drawn up seeking a connection to the
KRVT and they approached the
Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County, which handles the funding that pays for construction of the trail.
Ultimately the plan the Gull Lake Area Trail group had hoped for proved a bit too ambitious, but their work, which Suzanne facilitated, resulted in plans for a 3.5-mile extension of the KRVT. Plans are for it to connect to the trail on the north end of the Fort Custer Recreation Area through Augusta, ending at the south end of Gull Lake.
It took the support of five governmental units to get the plans approved and through her quiet persistence, Suzanne was instrumental in getting those approvals.
“When the work got hard, she would always encourage us to do the right thing,” says Melody Daacon, campaign coordinator for the Parks Foundation.
Since Suzanne’s death officials at the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail say they have seen an outpouring of support and love for her. The Parks Foundation is receiving gifts in Suzanne’s name daily from all over the country and as far away as France. Recently a group from Kansas who had previously worked with her indicated it wanted to make a contribution.
As they say on their website: "It is evident that she was loved by many. Her legacy will live on as we thoughtfully ensure that each gift will support the mission of completing the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, a mission that Suzanne helped to envision."
The support that has flowed to the Parks Foundation which handles the funding that pays for construction of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail since Suzanne died reflects who she was a person, her authenticity, compassion, and kindness, says Jessica Aguilera, who is working with the Parks Foundation.
“We are so honored to have been able to benefit from Suzanne’s wisdom and passion in her roles as a board member, ambassador, and patron of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail,” she adds.
David Rachowicz, director of Kalamazoo County Parks, says that one of Suzanne’s gifts was seeing the big picture and she wanted to do something that was great for the entire community. She was a great addition to the Parks Foundation board because of her ability to work with many groups. And the many people she knew across the community was another asset she shared generously with the board.
Development of the KRVT is through a partnership between Kalamazoo County Parks and the volunteer-led Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County. So far the collaboration has brought about the construction of 22 miles of non-motorized, paved asphalt trail. A one-mile stretch through downtown Kalamazoo that would connect the KRVT to the Kal-Haven trail, a 9.5-mile connection to the Battle Creek Linear Park and the 3.5-mile extension to Gull Lake are yet to be completed. The 35 miles of trail through Kalamazoo county has been in the works since 1991. So far, $10.4 million has been raised toward construction of the trail and another $6.2 million is needed to see it finished. Kalamazoo County maintains the trail as one of its parks.
Kathy Jennings is the Managing Editor of Southwest Michigan's Second Wave. She is a freelance writer and editor.
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