Work will begin soon to build a new shelter on Sylvan Island in Moline. The city's Park and Recreation board has approved plans by the Friends of Off-Road Cycling.
Friends spokesman Dave Brown says it'll honor the members of the volunteer group and all the hours they put in building and maintaining trails in the Quad Cities.
"And we thought about things like a bench and a sign, and then we thought you know what, let's do a pavillion and let's put it on Sylvan Island. That way the whole community can use this for gatherings and we can use it for gatherings when we're out there."
With a grant from the Moline Foundation, and other gifts, they now have 14,000 of the 20,000 dollars needed to build the pavillion. The open-sided shelter will have lights and picnic tables.
Brown says currently there are more than 45 miles of off-road trail in various parks around the Quad Cities.
"You've got a little bit of a challenge or a scare when you come across a group of roots - we don't dig those out you've got to ride over them. Come to a pile of logs that may have fallen across the trail - we'll make a stunt out of those so you can go up and over. My wife Carol describes it perfectly - she feels like she's in her own video game and yet you're getting exercise that's 500 to 600 calories per hour and you're laughing the whole time."
He hopes construction can start soon, with completion by late this fall. For more information go to qcforc.org.
