The Polly Ann Trailway Management Council (PATMC) is 85 steps closer to potentially winning $10,000.

That’s how many other nonprofit organizations it beat out to make the final cut in an online contest being conducted by the Bank of Ann Arbor’s Birmingham office.

“I am gobsmacked,” said Trail Manager Linda Moran. “I can’t even express to you how happy I am.”

The Bank of Ann Arbor is donating $75,000 to 15 Oakland County nonprofits. The contest started with 100 groups. Online voting whittled it down to the final 15, of which the PATMC is one.

“We made the fabulous 15,” Moran said.

According to Moran, she did a ton of campaigning to help get to this point.

“Boy, I was sure getting the word out,” she said. “People were starting to run away when they saw me coming because they knew I was going to say, ‘Did you vote? Did you vote?’ People on the trail were running in the opposite direction. It was crazy.”

But the online voting isn’t done yet.

It’s now up to the public to decide how much cash each of these 15 organizations will receive.

The contest’s top five vote-getters will each be awarded $10,000. The next five will receive $3,500 each, while the bottom five nonprofits will walk away with $1,500 a piece.

“No matter what, we’ll get $1,500,” Moran said. “But I think we can get the $10,000. I think that’s easily done.”

None of the votes cast in the first round will be counted in the final round.

“Everybody starts from zero,” Moran said. “Everybody starts with a clean slate and we have to build from there.”

Voting began Sept. 29 and will continue through midnight Oct. 12. Folks can cast their votes at birminghelps.com.

“You can vote once a day, every day,” Moran said. “You get one vote per email address.”

The Polly Ann Trail is a non-motorized, recreational path that winds its way through Addison, Oxford and Orion townships, including the villages of Leonard and Oxford. It’s used by walkers, runners, bicyclists and equestrians.

Moran encourages folks to take advantage of the trail while it’s in its autumn glory.

“It’s absolutely gorgeous this time of year,” she said. “The leaves are starting to fall. It’s just beautiful out there.”

For more information about the Polly Ann Trail, please visit www.pollyanntrailway.org.