Aikman Stops Runners Dead in Their Tracks
Fans wait for hours for Hall of Famer's autograph
By ELLEN GOLDBERG
Updated 11:07 PM CDT, Thu, Oct 22, 2009
Former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman had people stopping dead in their tracks along the Katy Trail on Thursday night.
Aikman made a special appearance to launch the annual membership drive for the Friends of the Katy Trail, a nonprofit group that maintains the trail.
He said he is a frequent user of the trail.
“Oh, I’m out here at least once a week,” Aikman said.
While he typically runs or bikes the trail, it was his arm that got a workout Thursday night. The former Cowboys Quarterback signed autographs to drum up support for the Katy Trail and its ongoing construction projects.
“I think most people like myself didn’t understand that it's not maintained by the city of Dallas,” Aikman said. “It’s privately funded, so I’m just just trying to bring awareness to the people that take advantage of it."
Despite the chilly temperatures, fans of the Hall of Fame quarterback started lining up at noon.
“I came all the way from Charlotte, N.C., just to meet Troy Aikman,” Kristina Sullivan said.
Katy Trail is currently undergoing a $2 million makeover.
“With the economic times, people have not been giving as much,” said Eric Paulson, of Friends of the Katy Trail.
Aikman fans were asked to make a voluntary $50 donation for an autograph.
Sullivan said it a small price to pay for a little face time with the Cowboys legend.
“He is adorable,” she said. “This is exactly how I imagined.”
Katy trail officials said they hope to have most of the current construction completed by the end of this year.
First Published: Oct 22, 2009 9:32 PM CDT
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