COOPER, Iowa, March 23, 2010 – We’ve got an eye-catching new item available for users and supporters of the Raccoon River Valley Trail — spiffy little lapel pins that carry the classic RRVT logo.

They were designed and made by Bacon Jewelers in Perry, one of the towns on the trail’s new “North Loop.”  The design is the same as the official RRVT logo, which was created by students at Iowa State University in 2006.  Their intention was to have the logo resemble earlier railroad signs, to reflect the rail heritage of the RRVT.

Here’s one of the new RRVT lapel pins. It measures 1 1/4 inch wide and 3/4 inch tall.  It’s designed like the RRVT logo used on trail signs, and is also in the RRVT colors.

The lapel pins are just the right size — big enough that you can read the trail’s name but small enough so they’re not gaudy.  And they look great on suitcoats, jackets, sweaters, ball caps and bicycle bags.

The price is $7, which covers the expenses of having them made and provides the RRVT Association with a buck or two to use in marketing and promoting the trail.

All board members of the association are selling the pins, so to buy yours, see or contact Dan Towers of Jefferson, Joe Hanner of Guthrie Center, Mike Wallace of Perry, Carla or Chuck Offenburger of Cooper, Kevin Wilbeck of Rippey, Allan Sieck of Rippey, Trisha Easton of Bagley, Butch Niebuhr of Perry, Daniel Willrich of Dallas Center, Karen Sievers of Panora and Guthrie Center, Cindy Jensen of West Des Moines and Panora, Jim Miller of rural Waukee, Bob German of Dallas Center, and Jon Doll of Waukee.