Eddie Vedder skateboard auction benefits Ferry County rail trail
TRAILS -- Eddie Vedder and the rock group Pearl Jam band members are rallying to support the 25-mile Ferry County Rail Trail in northeastern Washington by signing and donating a cool skateboard to an online auction that's underway on eBay.
At last look, the bids were in the $2,000 range.
The auction is set to close Sunday, Aug. 31, at 7:24 p.m. (PDT).
Funds generated will be used to enhance the surface of the abandoned railway that connects four towns, two school complexes and meanders along miles of pristine waterfront, including Curlew Lake and the Kettle River.
"Over the years, the Ferry County Rail Trail Partners have done well competing for state and federal development funds," said Bob Whittaker, president of the non-profit group, which is seeking more funding.
“We have 25 miles of donated property, much of it waterfront, along the Kettle river," he said. "We have a 770-foot trestle over Curlew Lake that was decked with $200,000 in bicycle/pedestrian safety funds, but we need surface improvements and we need them yesterday.
“An improved surface means more users, a healthier community, and happy, repeat visitors to the region.”
The "Longboard” style skate was signed by all the members of the band back stage before their sold out concert at the Spokane Arena last November. “It was a fun night- and all for a good cause," Whittaker said. "Ferry County even got a shout out from Eddie while on stage. How sweet is that!”
Included as part of this auction is an original photo taken by Bob Whittaker and signed by PJ frontman Eddie Vedder. The photo of Vedder on a canoe originally appeared in Vedder’s "Ukulele Songs" songbook. Vedder autographed a uke used in that recording and donated it to the Ferry County group for an auction that raised $17,000 for the trail.
The current auction is listed by Keith Bell, Vice President of Ferry County Rail Trail Partners. 100 percent of the proceeds go directly to this all-volunteer federally recognized non-profit organization.
The auction can be found by visiting FerryCountyRailTrail.com
