Pictured from left are Sonya Nash, executive director of the LaGrange County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Jeff Wingstrom, president of LaGrange County Trails, Sherryl Rhinesmith, vice president of the LaGrange County Trails, and Octavia Yoder, executive director of LaGrange County Community Foundation. Photo provided by the LaGrange County Community Foundation.

News Release

LAGRANGE — The LaGrange County Convention and Visitors Bureau has awarded a $50,000 grant to support the Hawpatch Trail, bringing the LaGrange County Community Foundation and LaGrange County Trails closer to meeting a fundraising milestone.

The foundation received a $450,000 grant from Lilly Endowment, requiring a $225,000 local match. This $50,000 grant will help meet that requirement. These funds are designated for the development of the Hawpatch Trail — a planned 17-mile multi-use path connecting Topeka, Millersburg and Wolcottville. Every gift to the Hawpatch Trail Fund at the foundation is matched dollar for dollar, doubling its impact.

“We are deeply grateful to the convention and visitors bureau for their generous $50,000 contribution to the Hawpatch Trail Fund through the Lilly Endowment matching grant at the Community Foundation,” said Jeff Wingstrom, president of LaGrange County Trails. “This gift provides a tremendous jump-start to our fundraising campaign and demonstrates the LCCVB’s far-sightedness in recognizing the economic and tourism potential that quality bike trails bring to our region. Their leadership sets the tone for what we can accomplish together as a community.”

With the convention and visitors bureau support, the foundation now has just 2.6% left to raise — less than $6,000 — to meet the match requirement for the trail grant. Once complete, this effort will add an additional $450,000 toward the project, providing critical momentum to advance development of the trail. LaGrange County Trails has played a key role in building the vision and securing the former railroad corridor that will become the future trail.

Following the historic Wabash Railroad Corridor, the Hawpatch Trail will connect communities across scenic countryside and small-town amenities. Once built, it will offer residents and visitors opportunities for walking, cycling and outdoor recreation, while strengthening tourism and supporting the local economy. The first two phases of the project — estimated at $10 million of the total $18 million investment — will establish the foundation for the full trail. Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2026.

“This grant represents more than just financial support — it’s a vote of confidence in the impact the Hawpatch Trail will have on our communities,” said Sonya Nash, executive director of the  LaGrange County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The trail will be a place where people come together, enjoy the outdoors and experience all LaGrange County has to offer. Visitors and residents alike are seeking natural, authentic experiences that celebrate our county’s bicycling heritage — opportunities that not only enrich quality of life but also strengthen tourism and fuel our local economy.”

The LaGrange County Convention and Visitors Bureau funding adds momentum to a broad communitywide collaboration involving the LaGrange County Community Foundation, LaGrange County Trails, local governments and residents who share the goal of making the Hawpatch Trail a regional destination.

“The Hawpatch Trail is more than a path — it’s an investment in the health, vitality and economic strength of LaGrange County,” said Octavia Yoder, executive director of the LaGrange County Community Foundation. “We are grateful for the LCCVB’s support, which strengthens our shared commitment to creating a space that will serve generations to come.”