Ottawa, KS – The City of Ottawa recently received a $10,000 grant from Sunflower Foundation, through its Paving the Way – From Blazing Trails to Building Community grant and education prog

Ottawa, KS – The City of Ottawa recently received a $10,000 grant from Sunflower Foundation, through its Paving the Way – From Blazing Trails to Building Community grant and education program, which is supporting Kansas communities at various stages of public-access and development with customized planning support, technical assistance, and peer learning opportunities.The City was one of 25 communities to receive one of Sunflower’s latest trail grants, and one of 12 to be awarded a Trail Stewards grant, which provides flexible funding for such things as maintenance, promotion, volunteer coordination and trail amenities to support communities that wish to elevate the role of existing trails.“The trails play an important role in our community connecting residents to businesses, services, parks, schools, neighborhoods, and healthy living opportunities,” said City Manager, Thatcher Moddie. “We are grateful for the opportunity to enhance our trail system with wayfinding, maps, and trail orientation for our community members and visitors.”In addition to providing flexible grant funding, the program offers grantees a chance to participate in a robust virtual learning series geared toward their stage of trail development. National trail expert Michele Archie, principal from The Harbinger Consultancy, is leading the series, with technical assistance provided by Kansas Trails, Inc. (KTI), a statewide organization dedicated to helping communities of all sizes advance their trail efforts through coordination and technical assistance.“We’re incredibly excited to work alongside our Paving the Way grantees, all of whom are planning or enhancing trails that elevate community health and celebrate local assets,” said Sunflower Director of Healthy Communities Kelli Mark, who oversees the foundation’s trail program. “Through both funding and shared learning opportunities, we’re helping communities build the knowledge, connections, and momentum needed to create lasting impact.”For a complete list of Paving the Way grantees and summaries of their projects, go to: https://sunflowerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Paving-the-Way-Grantee-list.pdf