14 Apr Zonta Club Awards Pedaling with a Purpose $2,500

Zonta Club of Petoskey recently awarded grants to six area organizations for their work in the community to empower women and girls. Kids Pedaling with a Purpose, the Trails Council’s flagship youth program, received $2,500 to assist in the purchase of a new fleet of hybrid bikes, helmets, a trailer for adaptive bikes, and a side-by-side pedal assist bike, all for Emmet County fourth graders

During the 2025-2026 round of applications, 13 organizations submitted Zonta Club grant funding requests totaling $59,110.

Directed by Cindy Okerlund, Kids Pedaling with a Purpose is now in its 10th year. The program is designed to get kids outside and features an eight-mile bike ride from Spring Lake Park in Petoskey to Oden State FIsh Hatchery and back on the North Western State Trail.

Combining science, geography, history, and most importantly, health, students spend the day reading maps, taking nature walks, discovering local history, and learning the life cycle of fish, as well as basic bicycle mechanics and etiquette to ride in a group.

Shown (second from left) receiving the check is Trails Council Board President and Pedaling with a Purpose core volunteer Kate Scollin.