We recently completed our first full year as an organization. And what a full first year it has been!

Members of FLAT played a major role in reminding the Lawrence City Commission of the importance of the Lawrence Loop and how the community looks forward to its completion. Our advocacy campaign succeeded in convincing the Lawrence City Commission to increase 5-year budget amounts for Loop construction from $600,000 to $1.4M.

The original FLAT board of 5 has now grown to 8, we are in the last steps of applying for 501c3 status, and we have a growing list of more than 500 Friends, many of whom have expressed an interest in volunteering.

With a LiveWell Community Wellness Grant from the Douglas County Community Foundation, we hired BARK Media, a Lawrence-based firm specializing in communications strategy, community engagement and
network building. They helped us with several events and left us with templates of how to do many of the crucial steps to put on great events in the future.

Board member Suzan Hampton created a map of the Lawrence Loop which we use for outreach events and communication. Marilyn Hull has been busy keeping our Facebook feed interesting and up to date.

And we have been collaborating with many other groups and organizations that have direct or indirect interest in the Lawrence Loop and other area trails.

Here are some of our 2018 happenings:

Mar 9- Chalk the Loop with Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission and Spencer Museum of Art
April- Confabularryum with Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission
Apr 27- Trails That Connect Us event on the Burroughs Creek Trail with Free State Brewing Company
May 10- Presentation to KU Endacott Society about FLAT and the Lawrence Loop
May 24- Birding While Black event presented by the Lawrence Public Library, outreach table
June 23- Complete the Loop 5K-Kids Cheer Zone, with Ad Astra Running
June 23- “How To” Lawrence Public Library Event: How to use the Lawrence Loop
July 4- Go Fourth Fireworks Event, Burcham Park, outreach table
July 18- Lawrence Parks and Recreation Loop Signage Meeting
July 21- Summer Community Bike Ride with Lawrence Central Rotary, promotion and outreach table
Aug 4- Happy Birthday Shelter Dogs Party with the Lawrence Humane Society
Sept 15- Fall Community Bike Ride with Lawrence Central Rotary, promotion and outreach table
Sept 22- East Lawrence Neighborhood Association Block Party, outreach table
Nov 4- Beers on the Kaw presented by Friends of the Kaw, outreach table
Nov 9- Received a grant from the Laurie Turrell Ward Advocacy Fund of the Douglas County Community Foundation
Nov 15- Received a grant from the Elizabeth Schultz Environmental Fund of the Douglas County Community Foundation
Nov 30- Received a Culture of Health Action Award from LiveWell Douglas County