Arbor Day Celebration
Thank you for your support and participation in our Arbor Day Celebration over the years. Your enthusiasm and commitment have helped make this event a memorable and successful community tradition.
As we continue to evaluate how best to fulfill our mission, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue the Running and Cycling portion of our Arbor Day Celebration.
Our Arbor Day Celebration will continue with a renewed focus on environmental education, tree stewardship, and expanding our community tree canopy through tree adoptions and planting initiatives.
Planning is already underway for a NEW & ENHANCED Arbor Day Celebration. Details are coming soon!
We hope you will continue to support our efforts and join us for our new and improved Arbor Day Celebration.
Thank you again for helping make the Arbor Day Celebration - Walk, Run, or Ride such a meaningful and successful event. Your participation has been an important part of its legacy.
ARBOR DAY SPONSORS 2025
MONTEZUMA CYPRESS SPONSOR
GRAND EBONY SPONSOR
WILD OLIVE SPONSOR
TEXAS SABAL PALM SPONSOR
IN-KIND SPONSORS
ORIGINS OF THE ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION
The Arbor Day Challenge is the brainchild of Mark Kroeze (our previous City of McAllen Forester) and Salvador Alemany (our previous Texas Forest Service Forester). The first Arbor Day “Challenge” took place in 2012, these two helped the City of McAllen put on an Arbor Day Bike Tour and have since come back every year to make it an even bigger and better event.
The second year, the two foresters said, "Hey, what if we made this thing a race? What if we gave people a chance to celebrate Arbor Day with a Criterium so that cyclists could race each other?
The third year, the two foresters and KMB said why not a 25-mile bike tour, a 5K run, or a 10K run and a bike criterium? And what if we added something for families too?"
Thus began the Arbor Day Celebration. Currently, the event features a timed 5K, a timed 10K. The event also features a 25 mile and 100K bike tour (no timer, no pressure) and a Kids 1 Mile Run (kids 12 years and under).
You see, Mark and Salvador love trees, and so does our city, and since Arbor Day is really about celebrating and protecting the trees that make this earth the beautiful blue and green globe that it is, we wanted to do our part to make our community and our world a better, brighter, and healthier place. For that reason, we will also give away trees every year, as well as have the planting of trees in one of our city parks.
So, we want to invite you to be a part of an event that will plant new trees in a public space, give you a city that is greener, cooler, and easier on the eyes, and give you a chance to get out and get active with your community!
Whether you walk, bike, run, ride, or just want to watch, we hope to see you at the Arbor Day Celebration!
WHY ARE TREES IMPORTANT?
Trees have been an important part of our day-to-day lives and give us the different kinds of benefits not only for our environment, but also to our economy, health and society.
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