Dear Friends,

Excitement continues to build along the Blue Ridge Parkway and at the FRIENDS office. FRIENDS celebrates its first 20 years in 2008, and the Parkway is not far behind with its 75th anniversary in 2010! Planning for the Parkway’s 75th anniversary has been underway for some time. Multiple community events will be celebrated up and down 469 miles of the Parkway as we approach the anniversary date. As with any significant commemoration, FRIENDS has been getting ready by ensuring its chapters will be ready.

FRIENDS is establishing new chapters and growing existing ones all along the Parkway. These chapters are vital to the recruitment of volunteers to fill the many volunteer job openings as well as plan and carry out the numerous projects needed to maintain the Parkway’s beauty and integrity.

The Fishers Peak Chapter has done an amazing job creating 4 ½ miles of new trails and recently completing the installation of two bridges on the trails that lead to the Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, Va. They have also spent hours in training to repair Parkway fences, and are expecting a group of students from the University of Notre Dame in October with plans to involve them in the project.

The Rocky Knob Chapter is an incredible group of hard working volunteers with endless energy and drive. The chapter has completed the painting of numerous miles of mile markers, repaired split rail fencing at Smart View, and collected from the recently installed donation box at Mabry Mill. Rocky Knob recently manned a booth at Floyd Fest recruiting members, volunteers, and creating awareness for the organization.

The Roanoke Valley Chapter planned and organized a very successful viewshed planting in April and is ready to begin plans for the next one. They are out and about, with an exhibit booth at the Bedford CenterFest in September and the AECP Green Living and Energy Expo in Roanoke in November – volunteers are needed for both events! The chapter is also recruiting volunteers for the restoration of split rail fences and for re-painting of mileposts.

The Asheville Chapter is officially off the ground with a very successful and well-attended steering committee meeting in July. Their second meeting is scheduled for September 5, at which time the members will hear from the National Park Service about what projects are badly needed in Asheville. The chapter has adopted overlooks and intersections to assist the Parkway with litter control along the commuter stretch of the road.

Another celebration you will be hearing much more about in the coming months is the opening of the new Parkway Destination Center located next to National Park Service headquarters in Hemphill Knob, near Asheville. Right now, however, there is an URGENT need to recruit 75 volunteers to man the visitor desk scheduled to open in October 2007. FRIENDS has been asked by the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area to help recruit these volunteers to staff the center.

If you would like to volunteer at the Destination Center or join a FRIENDS chapter, call the FRIENDS office, 800-228-PARK (7275), or complete an online application at www.BlueRidgeFRIENDS.org. Thank you for making a difference on the Parkway!

Susan Mills
Executive Director

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Fundraisers to Benefit FRIENDS

FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway will benefit from two very special beer tasting events to be held at Tyler’s Taproom in Durham, NC on August 24th and Bruisin’ Ales in Asheville, NC on August 25th.

Come to these special beer tasting/fundraising events with Sean Wilson of Pop The Cap and meet special guest, Lee Chase, former head brewer of Stone Brewing in Escondido, CA. Talk to Sean about the state of craft beer in North Carolina and chat it up with Lee about his years at Stone Brewing. At the West
Meets East, they will be celebrating beer in the West Coast style (with a little of the Extreme East thrown in for good measure).

Tyler’s Taproom, August 24th, 5:00 – 7:00 PM
$25 a person beer event only
$33 beer and Bulls ballgame afterwards

Bruisin’ Ales, August 25th, 2:00 – 5:00 PM
$10 a person in advance ($15 day of the event)
Tickets are available for purchase now at www.PopTheCap.org.

Both events are limited to 100 people.

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Donation Box Installed at Moses Cone

FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway has now installed its second Iron Ranger donation box along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The donation box is just outside the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park Visitor Center, milepost 294.1 in Blowing Rock, NC.

FRIENDS volunteers from the area will collect the monies and 100% will go back to the Parkway. Unlike many national park areas, the Blue Ridge Parkway charges no entrance fee, so on-site donation boxes are a convenient way for park visitors to express their support.

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Donate Your Older Car To Benefit FRIENDS

FRIENDS has partnered with Charity Cars to provide Parkway patrons and supporters yet another donation opportunity. Charity Cars is a non-profit organization that provides donated cars to disadvantaged families. The donor receives a tax break while helping to change someone's life. Many vehicles which are donated to Charity Cars, however, are not eligible to be given to disadvantaged families and these cars are sold at auction or for salvage. That's where FRIENDS can benefit. When you donate a car to Charity Cars and it's determined that the car will be auctioned or salvaged, you can request that the proceeds go to FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Charity Cars will honor your request.

If you would like to donate a car to the cause, contact FRIENDS at 800-228-PARK (7275) and FRIENDS will connect you with Charity Cars. You can find out more at 800charitycars.org.

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Support Kroger Cares Program

As a reminder to our supporters who have Kroger gift cards, please continue to reload and use for future purchases so FRIENDS can receive additional funding for all the Parkway programs that need your help.

If you don't already have a Kroger gift card, they are available for purchase for $5. FRIENDS earns 5% of the money reloaded onto the cards. Your initial $5 Kroger gift card from FRIENDS has a serial number that is linked to FRIENDS’ account at Kroger. Every four weeks, Kroger will review FRIENDS’ account and send FRIENDS a check for 5% of the money that has been reloaded onto the cards. To purchase your initial $5 Kroger gift card, contact FRIENDS’ office at 1-800-228-7275. You may pay by giving FRIENDS your credit card information or by mailing a check to FRIENDS, P.O. Box 20986, Roanoke, VA 24018. Please note on your check that the $5 is for a Kroger gift card. FRIENDS will mail your card to you.

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Notre Dame Students Visit Appalachia

Story by FRIENDS Office Volunteer, Dorothy Lange

Seven students from the University of Notre Dame visited the Galax area and worked with the FRIENDS Fisher’s Peak Chapter to assist with the construction of two trails located behind the Blue Ridge Music Center as part of their Appalachian Seminar Course.

Under the direction of Angela Miller McGraw of the Center for Social Concerns at the University, the students came to take part in a service-learning experience that would enhance their course work in the principles of Catholic Social Tradition. Part of the Tradition is caring for and enjoying the Earth in all its beauty. The volunteers were Daniel Allen, Ryan Daniels, Charles Fredericks, Anne Greteman, Deirdre Krasula, Michael Rolfsen and Megan Savage. Following their week of service they submitted essays detailing their impressions of the experience.

Most of the students expected to find mountains devastated by coal mining and residents left in poverty as a result of mining's decline. They confessed to being pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the area and the creature comforts they found available to them. Dottie and Pete Bramley, volunteers with the FRIENDS Fisher's Peak Chapter, hosted the visitors and opened the world of Appalachian life to them. The chapter hosted a dinner reception on their first night in Galax and chapter members also helped the group with shopping needs and took them out into the community for dinners and local entertainment.

The students heard old time and bluegrass music and were “impressed by the distinctiveness and talent of the musicians in Galax”. They “found a land full of wonderfully talented, ingenious, and, above all, friendly people”. They saw an area where not everyone had economic wealth “but its richness of culture, values, and way of life transcends any sort of price tag”. They met people with an “insistently cheerful spirit”. One student thought the town’s appreciation for and preservation of traditional music and dancing was as important as the preservation of the mountain environment. Another was inspired by the enjoyment of the simpler things in life rather than non-stop scheduled activities.

The group’s work along the Fisher’s Peak trails was led by Aubrey Arrington and Lew Shropshire. They were pleased with all that they were able to accomplish by removing stumps, blazing trails and hauling gravel to repair eroded sections of trail. In the work they found more than “replacing trails and botany lessons”. They appreciated the “amazing people” with whom they worked and found that “being able to do service work while spending time in a beautiful place like Fisher’s Peak is a gift in and of itself”. In addition to trail work, the students volunteered at The Willing Partners Thrift Store, which helps fund a food bank and supports other thrift stores in the area.

Some of the students had words of advice for local residents. One volunteer thought “this beautiful and fun part of the country should be promoted as a vacation spot in order to boost the local economy”. Another said, “It’s time to get on board and share the resources in terms of culture and tourism”.

In their essays the students expressed various impressions concerning the “learning” part of their service-learning experience. One learned that Appalachian values that he studied in class – a sense of beauty and a love of place – came through in the people he met on this trip. He said he had “never met a group of people so proud of their history and heritage”. A young woman said she “realized that service learning does not necessarily mean only my contribution to others but the impact the others make and the lessons they teach me”. Another young lady thought that “the Appalachian people…appreciate the vast beauty around them and have found meaningful ways to preserve and respect this landscape”.

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Workshops Offered at Mabry Mill

Learn to spin wool into yarn or weave a cane bottom chair. Skilled park rangers and master cultural volunteers will be leading hands-on workshops in September at Mabry Mill, milepost 176.1. Come learn a new skill and help keep these traditions alive!

Co-sponsored by FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the workshop fee covers the cost of materials and is payable the day of the workshop in cash or check made out to FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway. FRIENDS members in good tanding receive a discount. Advance reservations are requested. To reserve a space, call the Rocky Knob Visitor Center at 540-745-9662.

September 8 - Weaving & Spinning Workshop, 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Participants will use a drop spindle to spin wool into yarn, and learn how to warp and weave a tabby weave using a small frame loom. Fee: $30 for FRIENDS members and $35 for non-members. Participants limited to 16.

September 22 – Chair Bottoming Workshop, 1:00-4:00 p.m. - SOLD OUT! Learn how to weave a split bottom seat for a ooden chair. Participants are to bring their own wooden chair (without a seat) to finish in class. Fee: $10 for FRIENDS members and $15 for non-members. Fee includes the materials needed to complete the chair bottom. Participants limited to 20.

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North Carolina State Employees Can Make a Difference for the Parkway

REMEMBER “3608”

FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway is asking North Carolina state employees and retirees to remember the Parkway when they select their charity of choice through the North Carolina State Employees Combined Campaign (NCSECC).  This campaign allows North Carolina state employees and retirees to designate those areas they want to help with their charitable contributions.  FRIENDS asks North Carolina state employees and retirees to remember Charity Code Number 3608 when they make their pledge.

Founded in 1986, the NCSECC has raised more than $63M for thousands of participating charities that serve North Carolina citizens and communities.  As a Partner in Giving, FRIENDS hopes to help the NCSECC increase the record-setting $4.8M donated in 2006.  With the Parkway running through multiple NC counties, serving the economic interests of outlying businesses, and educating the youth of North Carolina in environmental and cultural programs, it only makes sense to help. 

For more information on how to designate charity dollars to FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway, visit our website at www.BlueRidgeFRIENDS.org or call our office at 800-228-PARK (7275).  State employee campaigns begin in August 2007 and university campaigns begin in September 2007.  Retirees can continue their public service of charitable giving using the simple retiree giving program outlined on the NCSECC website at http://www.ncsecc.org/.

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National Park News

The National Park Service has announced that Diane Chalfant has been appointed Assistant Associate Director for Visitor Experience. Her newly created position will involve providing policy development, program accountability, and budget formulation for Interpretation, Education, and Media Services in the NPS Partnerships and Visitor Experience Associateship.

National Park Service Director Mary Bomar testified on Capitol Hill on Thursday, August 1, about two bills before Congress that address the administration's proposal to match private donations with federal dollars to fund special challenge projects and programs under the National Park Centennial Initiative. After leaving the second hearing of the day Bomar described the experience as a very good day for America's national parks. She believes that members of both parties in Congress intend to take advantage of the years leading up to the 2016 National Park Service Centennial to reinvigorate national parks for the next century.

A new federal act allows charitable gifts to be made directly from your IRA. With the signing of the Pension Protection Act of 2006, taxpayers over the age of 70.5 can have charitable donations transferred directly from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Those gifts will be applied in satisfaction of a plan owner's minimum required distribution requirement. For example, if a participant is required to withdraw 5 percent from their IRA for the year, he or she can direct the entire amount (or a smaller amount) to National Park Trust (or other selected charity, such as FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway) in satisfaction of that minimum required distribution, thereby avoiding a heavy tax burden. Please consult your tax advisor for more information. (from Parkland News, 8/07)

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Mountains-To-Sea Trail Work Dates

September 8, 2007

October 13, 2007
November 10, 2007

Construction continues on the MST section between NC 16 and US 421 along the Blue Ridge Parkway on the second Saturday of each month. Meet at 8:30 AM near milepost 262 just south of the NC 16 junction with the parkway (about 3 miles south of Glendale Springs). Look for orange “MST WORK” sign and vehicles parked on shoulder of the parkway. Some tools are provided but you may bring loppers, rakes and hand bow saws if you have them. Bring plenty of water, sturdy work boots, gloves, suitable clothing and raingear.  Lunch, energy snacks and a light day pack with first aid kit may also be helpful.  The worksite is near the parkway so access to your vehicle should be easy and nearby.  For questions contact Jim Hallsey (336) 877-8831 or jhallsey@skybest.com.  Future workdays are scheduled for the second Saturday of each month through November with the third Saturday as a rain date.

Visit our Online Store

For a complete listing of merchandise, visit our online store.

FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway Cap - (one size fits all)

Shade your eyes while you show your support for the Blue Ridge Parkway. The FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway logo is embroidered on this beautiful hat. Adjustable - one size fits all.

FRIENDS Cap

Price: $16.99

Click here to order.

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Donate or HELP Support FRIENDS

Help Us Preserve the Legacy

FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway offers young and old, together, the opportunity to connect with friends and family to save the Blue Ridge Parkway for their continuing enjoyment - and for future generations. The Blue Ridge Parkway connects the Shenandoah National Park with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is America's most scenic drive encompassing 469 miles traversing 29 counties in Virginia and North Carolina. Over 20 million people touch its borders annually - making it America's most frequented park treasure! By joining Preserving the Legacy you will be supporting projects that will protect this extraordinary Parkway and adjacent land and views for yourselves and for future generations. FRIENDS is an official National Park Service partner. Please join us by choosing one of our deserving Programs today!

Donation Page

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