Celebrate the Opening of The Glowline On October 29

News

Celebrate the Opening of The Glowline On October 29
Added on October 24, 2022 by Cindy Mackey to Member News

Celebrate the Opening of The Glowline On October 29

The first-of-its-kind luminous trail on the East Coast

The Elizabeth River Trail Foundation is celebrating the completion of The Glowline with a ribbon cutting and Glow Party on October 29 from 5 to 7pm. The Glowline is the first-of-its-kind amenity on the East Coast and is located on the Elizabeth River Trail that runs through Jeff Robertson Park in West Ghent.

The celebration will include fun activities for the whole family including glow kickball and glow disc golf, sunset yoga, crafts, story corner, lawn games, snacks and more all with glowing elements. The ERT’s Trail Poetry Project poem selections will also be revealed on the trail for the first time.

Bhav Brigade Sunset Yoga 5:15

Official Ribbon Cutting 5:30

Glow Kickball 6:00

The ERT Foundation will sell exclusive limited-edition glow-in-the-dark shirts commemorating The Glowline. All proceeds benefit the trail.

“We are glowing with excitement over this truly special and unique feature on the trail,” said Kindra Greene, executive director of the Elizabeth River Trail Foundation. “We can’t wait to celebrate with the community and thank our sponsors that made this possible. We hope this brings more attention to the work of the Foundation, the beauty of the Elizabeth River Trail and the memories that can be made in outdoor spaces.”

The Glowline is composed of light-sensitive aggregate stones that are embedded in a freshly-poured 12-foot wide concrete trail. During the day, the stones retain a natural color and slowly absorb sunlight to power their glow. As the sun sets, the stones begin to glow an intense green, and a botanical pattern, inspired by the fiddlehead ferns in the nearby bird sanctuary, emerges. The intensity of the glow fades slowly throughout the night to begin a natural recharging cycle with each sunrise. The stones have a glow life expectancy of 20 years.

Taylor Construction installed this newest amenity for the Elizabeth River Trail Foundation. Timmons Group engineered The Glowline, and Work Program Architects designed the fiddlehead fern stencil pattern outlined by the stones. The Glowline is funded through a capital campaign and the generous lead sponsorships of Elizabeth River Crossings, operators of the Downtown and Midtown Tunnels, and PRA Group.

“As a company, we are really prioritizing our environmental, social and governance impact in the local community,” said Anna Bonet, CEO of Elizabeth River Crossings. “The health of the Elizabeth River and the vitality of this trail that surrounds it are very important to us. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be a part of this one-of-a-kind project.”

“Since its founding in 1996, PRA Group has supported more than 100 nonprofit organizations in the communities in which we live and work,” said Giovanna Genard, PRA Group’s vice president of external affairs and marketing leader. “We are honored to join the Elizabeth River Trail in making an impact through a project that promotes both sustainability and health right here in Norfolk, Virginia, where our global company is headquartered.”

The Elizabeth River Trail Foundation’s mission is to create an inclusive and resilient urban riverfront trail that connects and inspires people and businesses in the Hampton Roads region. The Elizabeth River Trail runs 10.5 miles through businesses, historic attractions and 28 neighborhoods within a five-minute walk. The multi-use trail is designed for walking, running and biking. It comprises 11 sections from Norfolk State University, through Downtown Norfolk an Old Dominion University to NIT Terminals along the Elizabeth River. The Foundation has completed multiple new unique and award-winning amenities, including a kayak launch, play sculpture and double turbo challenge course in Plum Point Park and most recently, The Glowline. Major sponsors include Sentara and the City of Norfolk. For more information, visit www.elizabethrivertrail.org.