Verbatim announcement from the city of Fort Wayne:
Local efforts that raised $1.25 million for multiuse trails is scheduled to be on Monday’s “Oprah” television show.
Board members of Aboite New Trails as well as staff from Indiana’s NewsCenter are planning to attend the taping of Monday’s show, which will feature the winner of the “Oprah’s Big Give” reality show and affiliates’ efforts as part of “Oprah’s Big Give.” “Oprah” airs locally at 4 p.m. on WPTA-TV.
Two camera crews from “Oprah” were in Fort Wayne on Saturday to tape the Oprah’s Big Give Fort Wayne Trails community celebration as well as Aboite New Trails and the Greenway Consortium’s fund-raising events.
The three Fort Wayne Buffalo Wild Wings locations will host parties Monday to watch the show with a 20 percent of the sales from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. going to support trail development.
The restaurants, which have family seating, will show Monday’s “Oprah” at 4 p.m. and then replay the show at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Those who participated in the fund-raising walks or rides are encouraged to wear their Oprah’s Big Give Fort Wayne Trails t-shirts.
The three Fort Wayne Buffalo Wild Wings locations are:
*5519 Coventry Lane to benefit Aboite New Trails
*10524 Maysville Rd. to benefit the Greenway Consortium
*1425 W. Dupont Rd. to benefit Northwest Allen Trails
The City of Fort Wayne, Aboite New Trails, the Greenway Consortium, New Haven/Adams Township Park and Recreation Department, and Northwest Allen Trails participated in the Oprah’s Big Give Fort Wayne Trails project since March.
Each trails organization held a fund-raising run, walk or ride Saturday. Later that day, the City hosted a community celebration at Headwaters Park with appearances from Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy and four Colts players. More than 3,000 people attended the party, and almost 800 participated in the walks and rides, despite rain and cool temperatures.
“Oprah’s Big Give” selected ABC affiliate Indiana’s NewsCenter and the local non-profit Aboite New Trails for a donation of $10,000. The mission from “Oprah’s Big Give” to Aboite New Trails and Indiana’s NewsCenter was to find a way to grow the money into something larger.
Aboite New Trails chose to split the Oprah’s Big Give funds with each of the four partner trails organization to fund its own fund-raising event, thus expanding the reach of the Oprah’s Big Give funding throughout Fort Wayne and New Haven.

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