Make Your Voice Heard!

On Tuesday, May 12, Butler County Commissioners will be voting on whether or not to support a plan by AARTI to improve the trail in Butler County from Meadowlark Rd in Andover to the Whitewater River.
With the Sunflower Foundation matching grant in hand, we have the resources to make this into a working trail.
Time is of the essence. Please contact the following commissioners this weekend to express your support.

Commissioners:
Jeff Masterson     jmasterson@bucoks.com
Ed Myers               emyers@bucoks.com
Peggy Palmer        ppalmer@bucoks.com
Mike Wheeler       mwheeler@bucoks.com
Dan Woydziak     dwoydziak@bucoks.com

Administrator:
William Johnson wjohnson@bucoks.com

Thank you for your support and encouragement,
AARTI Board

Sample emails to send

Dear Butler County Commissioner,
We are very excited about the extension of the Red Bud Trail in Butler County. Please support the work of Andover Augusta Rail Trail Initiative as they work towards this goal and approve their plan. The opportunity that matching funds through Sunflower Foundation and AmeriCorps NCCC volunteers beginning in April is tremendous.
Please do not delay and allow the Red Bud Trail to proceed for the health of our community.
Best Regards,
========================================================
Dear Butler County Commissioner,
The opportunity to improve the health of Butler County citizens is upon us. Please support AARTI’s (Andover Augusta Rail Trail Initiative) plan so they can proceed with the much needed recreational trail for the use of families and individuals seeking the outdoors to improve their health. The proposed Red Bud Trail addresses the urgent need for safe places for active living for our County. According to the 2014 County Health Rankings (www.countyhealthrankings.org), Butler County ranks 42 out of 98 in health outcomes and 18 out of 98 in health factors. Obesity rates in Butler County is 33% and the number of adults aged 20 and over reporting no leisure-time physical activity is 25%. In the State of Kansas, over 30% of children age 10-17 are overweight or obese. Access to trails can decrease obesity in both adults and children. A 2014 study by the University of Missouri found that counties with more non-motorized nature trails have higher levels of youth activity and lower youth obesity.
Let us work together and make Butler County the pride of Kansas in every sense of the word, in health, in people, in opportunities and in recreational outlets. What better way to tell our children and grandchildren that we care about you and your future! Please support the plan so AARTI can proceed with the trail expansion in Butler County. The time is now, not tomorrow.
Thank you for your leadership and for caring about our health,