<br />memory of their t <br />with several wood products firm owners, connections likely formed through concurrent military <br />15 <br />service. In all, the woods products industry of the area donated 1,000 units of cedar and <br />Douglas fir shavings, bark mulch and wood waste, at a cash value of $6,800. Two major haulers <br />16 <br />in the area donated trucks and personnel to haul 60 percent of the surfacing. <br />hogged fuel. Community volunteers also manned work parties to perform routine trail <br />maintenance. For example, in May of 1976 a work party was organized by Lane County, in <br />conjunction with the Oregon Track Club, to help remove rough wood chips surfacing through the <br />newly spread trail surface. Nike, which was co-founded by Prefontaines coach, Bill Bowerman, <br />also participated in improvement projects, in addition to provided funds for ongoing <br />17 <br />maintenance. <br />Beginning with the inaugural event during the trails dedication on Labor Day, 1975, the <br />trail provided venue of the Prefontaine Foundations annual fundraising racethe Pres Trail <br />18 <br />Run. The annual event included races at varying distances and participant categories. <br />Research for this application was unable to clarify when the annual event ceased, however, the <br />trail continues to serve as the venue for high school and college cross-country races such as the <br />Bill Dellinger Invitational and Pres Trail X-Country Challenge. <br /> Vandalism of trail features, particularly of the 100-watt mercury vapor lights and lamp <br />posts along the trail, as well as crime within Alton Baker Park, proved on ongoing problem for <br />Lane County authorities. Between 1978 and 1979, a small number of sexual assaults and <br />vandalism prompted a small, volunteer patrols of the trail in spring 1979. The patrol members <br />named to their group the Oregon Trail Observers, and took to patrolling the area on Friday and <br />Saturday evenings. The previous fall, Lane County spent - <br /> <br />15 Bell, Wade. Interview by Rodney Bohner. Phone interview. December 14, 2018. <br />16 <br /> Synergy (June 1976), retrieved from City of Eugene <br />Parks and Open Space archives, 1820 Roosevelt Blvd, Eugene, OR 97402. <br />17 Pres Trail project planned, The World (Coos Bay, OR), retrieved on December 21, 2018 from <br /> <br />Newspapers.com <br />18 <br /> <br />Pre run on Labor Day, Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), August 24, 1977, retrieved on <br /> <br />December 21, 2018 from Newspapers.com <br />December 2018 Pres Trail-Historic Designation Page 9 <br /> <br />