The James River Trails are used by hikers, joggers and mountain bikers as a way to escape the confines of the city and breathe deep the outdoor essence of Richmond.

If you live in Richmond and have never taken advantage of the fun and beauty of the James River and it’s parks and trails systems then …well, you probably don’t actually live in Richmond. However, if you have ever enjoyed the pleasures of the trails, this Friday is your chance to give back.

The group Richmond-MORE, the Richmond brand of MORE, a mid-Atlantic mountain bike organization, is holding a benefit concert on Friday, July 25, to raise money to improve the condition of the James River Trails. The goal for the event is to raise $2,500. All proceeds from the benefit are going directly to Richmond-MORE to work on the trails.

Terrell Bowers of the local band Green Giant is one of the organizers of the "Tunes for Trails" benefit happening at the downtown Capital Ale House music hall.

"Richmond-MORE just completed an arched bridge on the downstream side of Boulevard Bridge that cost in the neighborhood of $10,000 -- so there's plenty to do, I'm sure," Bowers said.

He said the idea for "Tunes for Trails" came to him while walking the trails with a friend and seeing the hard work being done by MORE to get the trails ready for the XTERRA race this past spring.

"Steve Slaughter, a mutual friend, and I were hiking the trails and talking about how cool it would be to have a major regional music festival where people could ride bikes on the trails during the day and camp out at night all over the woods and open areas, and maybe a big bonfire on the "dry rocks" at night,” Bowers said. "The idea of a fundraiser came from all that.”

Admission to the event is only $5, and again, all of that is going towards the trails.

"We wanted to price the tickets so that nobody ‘didn't come’ because of the price," Bowers said. "Five bucks is less than a super-size meal in a sack. You can't buy a Hannah Montana doll for five bucks."

The event, since it is at Capital Ale House will be restricted to people 21 and up. So if you fall below the age limit or spent your last five bucks on a gallon of gas, you can donate anytime on-line or help out working on the trails.

Bowers’ entire vision isn’t being immediately realized, this is no big outdoors extravaganza, but hey, it’s only the first year, and a little effort can go a long way.

"An outdoor show would be a lot of fun," Bowers said. "Depending on turnout and support, this event could be done outdoors with more promotion, maybe Brown’s Island, maybe under the Lee Bridge, maybe Byrd Park."

What: Tunes for Trails Benefit Concert

When: Friday July 25, 2008

Where: Capital Alehouse Music Hall, Downtown at 7th & Main St.

Who: Green Giant playing fun, hard-driving, soulful rock.

How Much: $5, all proceeds go directly to the purchase of equipment and materials for the James River Trails.