Bike Park to Honor Soldier, Boost Community
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA world-class, 16-mile bike trail is under construction near Terre Haute in honor of Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, a Hoosier soldier killed during the war in Afghanistan. The celebrity-endorsed Griffin Bike Park is expected to open next year as part of the Bicentennial Legacy Project and cost about $1.4 million. The 300-acre park will have specialized riding areas for all ages and skill levels, in hopes of encouraging an active local community and drawing families and riders on a national level. During an interview with Inside INdiana Business, founder Gene Griffin shares how his son's memory and mission to “make a difference” will live on through the Park. Dale R. Griffin was explained as “bigger than life” by his father Gene Griffin and as a somewhat “Superman” figure by his peers. Griffin shared in the interview that a major reason Dale went into the military was to “make a difference” and that mantra has now been taken on by the mission of Griffin Bike Park.
The park has already received immense recognition and endorsement by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, George W. Bush, and many Hoosier leaders.
The founders of the park want it to not just be a bike park but a destination for families, the community, and beyond. Griffin believes that the creation of the bike park is “going to change the image of the western part of the state” and quality of life.
The mostly volunteer-built park is being designed by Hillride Progression Development Group, LLC out of California. Griffin said that the park can be compared to the nationally-recognized Valmont Bike Park in Boulder, CO, except Griffin Bike Park is going to be 7-times bigger. He said that the park can be expected to be ready in a little over a year, in time for Indiana's Bicentennial celebration.