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NEW POLARIS
GRANT PROGRAM AWARDS $289,267 TO ATV CLUBS AND STATE AND
NATIONAL OHV ORGANIZATIONS
The NOHVCC
receives a substantial share to finish their nearly
completed Adventure Trail CD-ROM program; more money
available to clubs and organizations in the future
Polaris Industries is proud to announce the first round
of 'T.R.A.I.L.S.' grant recipients, with grants totaling
$269,267. Polaris issued grants to 34 organizations in 20
states
 including
the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council
(NOHVCC). The grant is going to the NOHVCC is to help cover
the first round of manufacturing costs for their
soon-to-be-released Adventure Trail CD-ROMs. "It is great to
have Polaris on board for this exciting new educational
project we're doing," said Executive Director Russ Ehnes
after hearing about the grant approval. "We'll soon be
getting these cool CD-ROMs into the hands of thousands of
kids throughout the country who can learn about the safe and
ethical riding practices that are so important to the future
of our sport.
The first of its kind in the ATV industry, the 'T.R.A.I.L.S.'
grant program
was launched in January for ATV clubs, associations and
grassroots groups.
ATV riders and the trails they use are the lifeblood of the
sport and
Polaris aimed to create a program to help. The T.R.A.I.L.S.
program makes
funds available to national, state and local organizations
in the United
States to ensure the future of ATV riding.
T.R.A.I.L.S. stands for:
. T = Trail Development
. R = Responsible Riding
. A = Access
. I = Initiatives
. L = Lobbying
. S = Safety
The grant program encompasses two main objectives -
promoting safe and
responsible riding, and preserving access. Funds can be used
by
organizations for trail development and maintenance
projects, safety and
education initiatives, lobbying and other projects to
increase and maintain
land access.
"Trail access is our number one challenge in the
industry," said Bennett
Morgan, president and chief operating officer of Polaris.
"As a
manufacturer, we're taking the lead and responsibility by
doing something
about it."
The grants ranged from $2,000 to the maximum
$10,000 and will be applied
toward projects including safety and education, trail
mapping and marking,
OHV park and forest service enhancement and trail
development, youth safety
events and lobbying efforts.
The first T.R.A.I.L.S. grant recipients are as follows:
Local Organizations
. North Alabama Trail Riders Association
. Cheaha Trail Riders (Alabama)
. Moto-Trax (Arizona)
. Thunder Mountain Wheelers ATV Club (Colorado)
. New England Trail Rider Association (Connecticut)
. Harlan County Ridge Runners ATV Club Inc. (Kentucky)
. Western Massachusetts ATV Association
. Topsham Trail Riders ATV/Snowmobile Club (Maine)
. Drummond Island Off-Road Club (Michigan)
. Manistee County ATV Association (Michigan)
. Ranger Snowmobile/ATV Club (Minnesota)
. City of Shakopee (Minnesota)
. Blind Lake ATV (Minnesota)
. Flat Rock Riders Club (Nebraska)
. Oswego County ATV Club Inc. (New York)
. Upstate ATV Association Inc. (New York)
. Snow Shoe Rails to Trails Association (Pennsylvania)
. Indian Creek Valley ATV Club Inc. (Pennsylvania)
. Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Foundation (Pennsylvania)
. Cle Elum Ranger District, Wenatchee Ntl. Forest
(Washington)
. Tri-County Trailblazers ATV Club (Wisconsin)
. Dusty Trails ATV Club of Oconto County, Inc. (Wisconsin)
State Organizations
. AZ Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition
. Friends of Florida State Forests, Inc.
. ATV Association of Minnesota (ATVAM)
. Nebraska Off Highway Vehicle Association
. North Carolina Motorcycle Dealers Association
. Ohio Multi-Use Trails Association
. Utah/Arizona ATV Club
. Vermont ATV Sportsman's Association Inc.
. Wisconsin ATV Association (WATVA/NOHVIS)
National Organizations
. Blue Ribbon Coalition
. Tread Lightly!
. NOHVCC (National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Council)
We're really pleased with the response from ATV clubs and
organizations in
this first round," said Morgan. "We received an application
from an ATV club
in virtually every state. That's phenomenal because together
we grow the
sport we love."
For more information on the 'T.R.A.I.L.S.' grant
program and an application
form, visit the Polaris Web site at
www.polarisindustries.com and click on
"Riders," "Polaris Riders", then select "Right to Ride."
Grant applications are reviewed three times per year --
in April, August and
November, with corresponding submission deadlines of March
1, July 1 and
October 1. Organizations may apply for a maximum of two
grants per year and
all organizations must have 501c3, 501c7 or non-profit
organization status.
Project funding from other sources is an important criteria
in order to be
considered for a T.R.A.I.L.S. grant.
T.R.A.I.L.S. Grant Application Form:
http://www.pi54.com/ATV/PDFs/TRAILSGrantAppForm.pdf
About Polaris
With annual 2005 sales of $1.9 Billion, Polaris designs,
engineers,
manufactures and markets snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles
(ATVs), Victory
motorcycles and the Polaris RANGER for recreational and
utility use/
Polaris is a recognized leader in the snowmobile industry;
and one of the
largest manufacturers of ATVs in the world. Victory
motorcycles, established
in 1998 and representing the first all-new American-made
motorcycle from a
major company in nearly 60 years, are rapidly making
impressive in-roads
into the motorcycle cruiser marketplace. Polaris also
enhances the riding
experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel,
accessories and
parts, available at Polaris dealerships.
Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock
Exchange and Pacific
Stock Exchange under the symbol "PII," and the Company is
included in the
S&P Small-Cap 600 stock price index.
Information about the complete line of Polaris products,
apparel and vehicle
accessories is available from authorized Polaris dealers or
anytime from the
Polaris homepage at
www.polarisindustries.com
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