Scenic hike to benefit local community

| 29 Sep 2011 | 09:45

    Byram Township — The fall foliage will be on full display as hikers traverse the mountainous Highlands Trail on Oct. 21. A 3.5-mile guided hike will take participants through the picturesque scenery of this beautiful property, owned by Hudson Farm. Hudson Farm and Byram Township sponsor the event, which will help raise money for Byram Schools, Byram Fire Department, New Jersey Initial Response Team and Lakeland Emergency Squad. The sponsors will donate $1 per year of the age of each participant. Last year, the charities received a combined total of $19,000 raised by over 500 hikers. According to Byram Township Superintendent of Schools, Joe Pezak, “This is a unique opportunity to foster a school and community partnership with a prominent not-for-profit organization. While participants will discover and enjoy the natural resources abundant at the Hudson Farm, the proceeds raised will be utilized to serve the educational needs of our Byram students.” Check-in will be held between 7:30 and 10:30 a.m. at the farm, just north of Lackawanna Drive on Stanhope-Sparta Rd. at the border of Byram and Hopatcong. At trail’s end, a lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs on the grounds of the farm will conclude the event. Cars must be parked at the farm and carpooling is encouraged. Buses will take groups of participants to the trail head on Roseville Road. This is a challenging hike, rain or shine, over a mountainous trail. Use discretion with younger children. Each participant should wear sturdy shoes and bring a water bottle. The hike is free and open to both Byram residents and non-residents. For more information and to register, call Marie Raffay at 973-347-7303.