Mayor Shelly Carlson presented the MoorHeart Award to leaders of FM Trailbuilders at Monday’s council meeting. (From left) Laurens Robinson, Carlson and Jack Kelly.

The volunteers who have maintained and improved Fargo-Moorhead’s off-road bicycle trails for the past 13 years were honored at Monday’s city council meeting with presentation of the July MoorHeart Award.

Starting in 2010, FM Trailbuilders – led by Laurens Robinson – has worked to make off-road biking venues along the Red River accessible to everyone who wants the experience.

In her letter of nomination, Moorhead Parks and Recreation Director Holly Heitkamp said, “Hard work, weed-whacking, log removal and lots of bug spray led to development of the 2.5-mile single-track trail at MB Johnson Park in Moorhead. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and has spurred numerous conversations to continue efforts to establish and promote the use of off-road recreational trails for biking, hiking and just getting outdoors.”

More than 50 volunteers work regularly to maintain the three major F-M trail systems. Together, the systems include 17 miles of off-road trails. In addition to trail-building, the group holds several off-road bike events, including fat bike events in winter and summer events at MB Johnson, Gooseberry and Horn parks.

In addition to the hours spent grooming trails, the volunteers work with the youth bicycle group called the Wolves, a pack of kids from 6th through 12th grades who bike and compete. They provide scholarships for entry fees and find used equipment for those who need it.

In accepting the award, Laurens told the council, “We’re hoping that, in the future, our kids will bring their own kids out to enjoy the trails.”

The MoorHeart award recognizes individuals and organizations who go above and beyond to demonstrate community by their actions and service. For information and to nominate, go to www.cityofmoorhead.com and search “MoorHeart.”