A fundraising campaign that was years in the making has paid off, according to an organization aimed at maintaining one of the State’s most scenic routes. Announced in the Summer of 2021, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s specialty plate program quickly surpassed the 450 pre-orders it required to begin production.
Now, in the first full year since the plates became available, Virginia’s drivers have managed to raise more than 100-hundred-thousand dollars to support the foundation. Rita Larkin, Chief Communications Officer for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, highlights what those numbers mean for the national park, “For that amount of money to be raised in the first year is just really indicative of how Virginia’s drivers are supporting the Parkway, and showing their love for the Parkway.”
Larkin says donor support allows the foundation to maintain visitor attractions, and prioritize projects – like the recent re-roofing of the historic Mabry Mill in Meadows of Dan, Virginia – that federal funding alone can’t cover. “There is a gap in that funding, and budgets have kind of stayed stagnant: the federal budget for national parks. So we try and bridge that gap to help with historic preservation, natural resource protection, trail rehab – and just visitor safety and enjoyment up and down the Parkway.”
Since the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s inception in 1997, it has raised $26 million to support and maintain the trails, outlooks, and attractions that line the Blue Ridge Parkway’s 469-mile span.
You can purchase one of the specialty plates for $25 through the DMV’s website for cars and motorcycles, or $35 if you choose to personalize it. From each sale, $15 goes directly to supporting the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s efforts.
Click here for more ways to support the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
The post VA Drivers Raise $115,000 for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation first appeared on News/Talk 960-AM & FM-107.3 WFIR.
