Buckeye Trail Association Membership Drive

Central Ohio Chapter

April 5, 2018 - 6:00pm

Gahanna, Ohio


Live, Breathe and Hike the Buckeye Trail!

You are invited to attend the Buckeye Trail Association Membership Drive in Gahanna. Show your support for the Buckeye Trail Association by becoming a member and spending an evening with fellow Buckeye Trail enthusiasts.


Tickets: $25.00 in advance by March 31 or $30.00 at the door

Buy a ticket and receive a one-year membership to the Buckeye Trail Association. Save 20% over regular individual member cost! Your ticket is also your invitation to join us for an evening of fun, food, and drink at the Coaches Gahanna Food & Spirits, Ohio on April 5, 2018. The evening will also include Buckeye Trail updates, informal discussions, and raffle prizes. The discounted price is only valid for pre-registered (and pre-paid via Pay Pal) participants prior to March 31. After March 31 the cost will be $30 per participant at the door.

Are you already a member of the BTA? You can still join the fun! With your ticket you can give a gift membership to a friend or family member. Current Buckeye Trail Association members are encouraged to attend. Sorry, tickets cannot be used for membership renewals. Former members whose membership has elapsed for at least one year are eligible!

Location: Coaches Gahanna Food & Spirits. Coaches is a relaxed party location featuring pizzas, beers and live music nights with a heated enclosed outdoor patio. Coaches Gahanna Food & Spirits is located at 230 Granville St, Gahanna, OH 43230 Phone : (614) 476-4496. Web Site

Registration: REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Please register at this link.

What's included in the ticket price?

  • A one-year, individual membership, in the Buckeye Trail Association. Current members can give a gift membership.

  • Admission for one to the Coaches Gahanna Food & Spirits event on April 5, 2018.

  • Pizza and salad.

  • A raffle ticket to win door prizes; must be present to win. Additional raffle tickets are $5.00 for 6 tickets and will be available during the event.


Your ticket price includes admission for one. We encourage both the current BTA member and recipient of gift membership to attend this event – if both attend there is an additional $10 charge to offset the cost of the second person’s food and beverage.



Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy an evening with fellow Buckeye Trail friends and find out the latest trail news!


Evening Agenda - Coaches Gahanna Food & Spirits:



  • 6:00pm: Arrival. Check-in. Social Time. Food and drink.
  • 7:00pm: Buckeye trail Overview by Andrew Bashaw
  • 7:20pm: Through-hiking the Buckeye Trail by Andy Niekamp
  • 7:40pm: Central Ohio chapter – Bob Litt
  • 8:00pm: Raffle drawing. Winner must be present to win.
  • 8:15pm: Closing Remarks.






Your membership or gift membership is processed as soon as your ticket is purchased. Start enjoying the benefits of being a BTA member today!


New members will receive the Trailblazer newsletter in PDF format via email. Members may switch to mailed, paper copies.


Ticket fees are non-refundable.

Registration at the event is $30.

REGISTER now.



Want To Get Involved? Need More Info? Contact Us!

Contact: Bob Litt - ~ 614-882-8654



Thank You To Our Community Partners For Donating Raffle Prizes!



Flash 45 Backpack


First aid kit


Copy of Andy Niekamp's book "Captain Blue on the Blue Blazes - The First Solo Thru-Hike of
Ohio's 1,444 Mile Buckeye Trail"


2018 TrailFest T-Shirt from Yellow Springer Tees
Outdoor Source

Two (2) $25.00 Gift Cards



Buckeye Trail History: In 1958, Merrill Gilfillan wrote an article for the Columbus Dispatch proposing a trail from Cincinnati to Lake Erie. One of his hopes was that the trail would serve as an encouragement to young people to slow down and learn about their native land. Spurred on by the article, several people, including Merrill, met in Columbus in February, 1959 to discuss building such a trail. In June, they formed a non-profit organization – The Buckeye Trail Association. The Buckeye Trail is identified by blue blazes, 2" wide by 6" high, on trees or poles.

Grandma Gatewood: After raising 11 children on farms along the Ohio River and at the age of 67, the grandmother of 23 became the first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail alone and in a continuous hike. That was in 1955. Two years later, she hiked the Appalachian Trail again and later completed a third hike of the trail in sections. She is known for her legendary Keds sneakers that she wore instead of hiking boots and the laundry sack that she used instead of a backpack. Grandma Gatewood was a founding member of the The Buckeye Trail Association.