MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Mon Rivers Trails Conservancy wants to invite Morgantown area residents to hang out downtown on Friday and help support the growth of area recreation.
The Co-Op on Pleasant Street will host “Friday for a Cause’ on Friday, March 21, starting at 6 p.m., where specialized drinks will be served by “celebrity bartenders” to help raise funds for the conservancy. Executive Director Ella Belling encourages anyone over the age of 21 to take part in the free event that will also include updates on annual programs that will be hosted by the conservancy starting in the spring.
“This is the first time we’ve had this event,” said Belling. “This Friday, from 6 to 9 p.m., you can enjoy some drinks made by avid trail users, and the tips from those drinks and a percentage of the drink proceeds go to the conservancy,” she said.
The specialty drinks served as part of ‘Friday for a Cause’ will be served by former West Virginia University professor Dr. Christian Abildso and remediation specialist Marc Glass. From 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., they will both serve around a dozen or so specially recommended alcohol cocktails, which will then have a portion of the proceeds go directly towards the Mon River Trails Conservancy. Members of the conservancy will also be on hand to present what is taking place on the Mon River Rail Trail in 2025.
“I will be there handing out trail maps and have some information about upcoming events,” said Belling.
All the proceeds collected as part of the ‘Friday for a Cause’ will support the Mon River Trails Conservancy mission to maintain over 40 miles of trails in the Morgantown area. This includes trails that connect to three Morgantown area municipalities that provide scenic routes of the Monongahela River, Decker’s Creek, and Cheat Lake. With the start of trail season kicking off in April, Belling feels the Friday event is a great way to have residents excited to take advantage of the trails as the weather warms.
“We have 48 miles, and it takes you all the way from Morgantown and Star City into Pennsylvania,” said Belling on the types of trails that are part of the Mon River Rail Trail system. “You can connect at the state line to the Sheepskin Trail and continue into Point Marion,” she said.
The Mon River Trails Conservancy ‘Friday for a Cause’ will be the kickoff of numerous events and activities that will be hosted throughout 2025. This includes the Blue Jean Ball, which will be hosted at Camp Muffly on April 12, as well as the Spring Handmade Market that will take place along the Art Walk in the Wharf District of Morgantown on April 26. With the warm weather bringing residents out to various parts of Morgantown, Belling hopes anyone interested in supporting area trails can come down to The Co-Op on Pleasant Street on Friday, March 21, at 6 p.m.
“It’s amazing that a few minutes outside of Morgantown and you’re in what feels like wilderness sometimes,” said Belling on what the benefit will help support. “With waterfalls and river views, it’s really beautiful,” she said.