HTA News
The Hawes Trail Alliance now has 501 (c)(3) status.
Sometimes the IRS brings good news –
“We’re pleased to tell you we determined you’re exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501 (c)(3). Donors can deduct contributions they make to you under IRC Section 170. You’re also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under Section 2055, 2106, or 2522.” Whoo Hoo!
Hawes Trail Alliance Adds Board of Directors Member - Dave Welsh
MESA, Ariz. – Hawes Trail Alliance (“HTA”) is excited to announce changes to its Board of Directors. On May 18, 2022, Dave Welsh became HTA’s newest Board of Directors member, joining the three Founding Board Members, Michael Norberg, Tom Stapley and Grant Taylor, along with last year’s addition, Crystal Petrocelli.
Dave has been heavily involved with HTA from the start and was the mastermind behind our beloved Big Sister trail. He is excellent at looking at the trail system as a whole and brings fresh ideas and concepts from the many trail systems he has visited. Dave was the guiding force behind implementing an organized, strategic approach for developing our original master trail plan. He took on that same challenge during our recent Master Plan 2.0 process. Dave’s passion for all types of trail use, from gravel- grinding to dropping Sunset Ridge to hiking with his two young girls, will help keep Hawes a well-rounded, fun trail system for all. He will be working closely with Tonto National Forest as well as other key HTA Trail Advisory Board Members and volunteers to create the best trail system in the state of Arizona.
About Hawes Trail Alliance
The Hawes Trail Alliance is a non-profit organization formed to create a partnership with Tonto National Forest to help build and protect the Hawes Trail System to be enjoyed by bikers, hikers, and all outdoor enthusiasts. All assistance is to help support the greater good of better, safer, and more accessible trails in Mesa, Arizona.
Hawes Trail Alliance was formed in December 2018 and has far exceeded their original goals and timeframes in the past three and a half years. Thanks to thousands of hours of volunteer work and nearly half a million dollars in donations, including $150,000 each from our Title Sponsors, Invitation Homes and MR Tanner Construction, HTA has added 28 miles of trails to the Hawes Trail System.
Hawes Trail Alliance:
Susan Smith
smithcrewaz@gmail.com
MESA, Ariz.– The Hawes Trail Alliance (HTA) is thrilled to announce a three-year partnership with M.R. Tanner Construction that will focus on maintaining, enhancing, and expanding the Hawes Trail System to be enjoyed by residents of Mesa, Maricopa, and Pinal counties, as well as outdoor enthusiasts everywhere. As a Title Sponsor, MR Tanner Construction will provide $50,000 a year (a total gift of $150,000) to be the catalyst for developing new trails and trailheads, expanding and improving parking lots; and improving signage, safety, and user education.
“We couldn’t have a better friend and backer than MR Tanner Construction and their leadership crew! We hope these private donations, along with the expected funding from city, state, and federal grants/programs, will make our plans for Hawes Trails a reality,” said Michael Norberg, founding board member of HTA. “For the past several months, we have envisioned MRTC having a more elevated role in what HTA is doing. We are so grateful for this Title Sponsorship and for your recognition of this need and the value of becoming a Title Sponsor of Hawes Trail Alliance.”
M.R. Tanner Construction is not only contributing significant funds to help build out the Master Trail Plan vision, but also will involve their employees with the opportunity to give back to their community through service and volunteer work days,” said Grant Taylor, Chairman of the Board for HTA. “Hawes Trail Alliance has at its core, an ethos of being ‘loyal to the soil’ here in the City of Mesa, in Maricopa County, in the great state of Arizona. Having M.R. Tanner Construction as part of our extended HTA family connects and strengthens the community at large and all of us.”
Utilizing decades of experience in the industry and through strong relationships and hard work, M.R. Tanner Construction has completed projects and earned a reputation for high-quality work throughout the greater Phoenix area and beyond for over 20 years. M.R. Tanner offers homebuilders, developers, commercial general contractors, and municipalities comprehensive road construction services. MRTC has been the contractor of choice in residential projects such as Eastmark, Lehi Crossing, Las Sendas, Power Ranch, and the newly developed Reserves at Red Rock. MRTC builds roads by forging relationships, such as The Hawes Trail System, to provide MR Tanner Construction clients and associates the option to explore the outdoors, refresh, recharge, and reconnect with their community and themselves while helping protect public lands and national forests.
“Our company is built on the premise of a solid foundation. We believe in being honest with our clients and treating people with professional courtesy and respect. This includes our community partnerships seeking to create a solid foundation, be environmentally conscience, and set standards for sustainable systems. This is one step in MR Tanner Construction’s pledge to being a committed organization in the communities where we operate,” said Alan Evans, President of MR Tanner Construction. “We look forward to partnering with the Hawes Trail Alliance as we develop our sustainability efforts and projects that bring our residents, associates, and partners together to improve our communities.”
About Hawes Trail Alliance
The Hawes Trail Alliance is a non-profit organization formed to create a partnership with Tonto National Forest to help build and protect the Hawes Trail System to be enjoyed by bikers, hikers, and all outdoor enthusiasts. All assistance is to help support the greater good of better, safer, and more accessible trails in Mesa, Arizona.
About MR Tanner Construction
M.R. Tanner Construction is an industry-leading heavy civil contracting company, specializing in grading and paving. Located in Gilbert, Arizona, M.R. Tanner has been the contractor of choice for developers, municipalities, and general contractors for close to 30 years. www.mrtanner.com
Hawes Trail Alliance:
Susan Smith
smithcrewaz@gmail.com
MR Tanner Construction:
Alan Evans
Phone: 480-633-8500
Email: AEvans@mrtanner.com
Source: MR Tanner Construction Inc.
By: Shanti Lerner, Arizona Republic
Sometimes it takes bold action by one small group to improve the quality of life for the wider community. That’s the story of the Hawes Trail Alliance, a nonprofit organization formed in 2018 in partnership with Tonto National Forest to help maintain and expand the Hawes Trail, a vast recreational trail system in northeast Mesa.
The group is headed by founders Grant D. Taylor, Thomas Stapley, Crystal Petrocelli and Michael Norberg, all Mesa residents. Over the past three years it has built over 28 miles of new trails in the Hawes Trail System, maintained and upgraded 34 miles of existing trails and created new trailheads. Hundreds of volunteers have logged over 55,000 hours and raised over $350,000…..
04/08/2021 - Hawes Trail Alliance Announces Partnership with Invitation Homes to Increase Access and Enjoyment of Sustainable Trails
“We are both ecstatic and grateful for Invitation Homes and their leadership team, to see the need and value of becoming a Title Sponsor of Hawes Trail Alliance. Invitation Homes is not only contributing significant funds to help build out the Master Trail Plan vision but also will be involving their employees and residents with the opportunity to individually give back to their community through service and volunteer workdays,” said Grant Taylor, chairman of the board for HTA…
02/08/2021 - Order a Hawes Trail Map Poster
Presenting the newest addition to your garage – the official Hawes Trail System map! Whoop!! Big thanks to @schillingsworth and Nicole Funicello for the heavy lifting on this project. The poster is available online or at The Hawes House in Mesa. A portion of the proceeds goes to the Hawes Trail Alliance. Another enormous thank you goes out to PRI Graphics & Signs for printing the final product and handling the web ordering.
There are two versions of the map: one version has the trails colored by trail rating difficulty. The other map shows each trail with its own unique color. Four sizes are available on high-quality poster stock. There is also the option to have the map printed on 4mm corrugated plastic and three sizes are available for that option.
02/23/2021 - Hawes Trail Alliance – Formalize Board of Directors and Advisory Board Members
Crystal Petrocelli has been an integral part of HTA from its inception, serving on the Advisory Board in many capacities. She brings added enthusiasm, local knowledge, and passion. Crystal will help manage and implement the recently approved “Master Trail Plan” for Hawes with specific responsibilities over trail building, trail maintenance and trail sustainability. She will be working closely with other key HTA Trail Advisory Board Members and volunteers to create the best trail system in the state of Arizona…
12/1/2020 - Fundraiser - Paying Big Loops Trail Builders & Trail Machine to Finish Master Trail Plan.
Now that the Master Trail Plan has been approved, we have been raising money to help professional Trail Builders @bigloops to cut and dig the new trails. As a community we have come together to raise our $30,000 goal as well as a ton of volunteer hours to help along side.
Huge shout out to @bigloopmaps for doing an exceptional job on the new trails!
12/1/2020 - Master Trail Plan is approved! Sign up to Help start Digging New Dirt!
