FRIENDS Parkway Chapters
Event & Board Meeting July 2015
FRIENDS OF THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY OFFICE Roanoke, Virginia
Milepost 275-315 Milepost 275-315 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY HEADQUARTERS Asheville, North Carolina
Boots on the ground make a difference! Since the FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway Chapter conception in 2002, FRIENDS’ network of chapters has grown to nine exceptional, community-based volunteer groups. These chapters inspire communities to engage with their park through volunteerism. Local Parkway communities roll up their sleeves, accomplishing much-needed Blue Ridge Parkway projects. To make this happen, they plan their workdays months in advance and recruit volunteers of all ages to meet their goals. Chapter leaders’ roles may be clearly defined on paper, but in reality they wear many hats! Chapter leaders act as cheerleaders for the volunteers; they are enforcers of
Parkway standards and rules; they are extraordinary innovators and fundraisers; and they are negotiators – negotiating a win-win between what needs to be accomplished and the parameters they have to work within. But most importantly, chapter leaders are volunteers and individuals with enormous hearts for the Parkway whose commitment and dedication to the Parkway are an inspiration to us all! Annually, we meet to celebrate their accomplishments and to hear firsthand about their achievements and plans for the next year.