Friends of Virginia State Parks. The Friends of Virginia State Parks

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1 Winter Newsletter Friends of Virginia State Parks The Friends of Virginia State Parks organizations are a dynamic group of individuals who contribute thousands of hours annually to their favorite state park. Without their dedication and tireless efforts, Virginia State Parks would never be the outstanding public entity it is. We will highlight Friends Groups achievements and contributions in each edition of the Friends of Virginia State Parks newsletter. We hope you enjoy reading about the many Friends Group volunteers and their many successes. Making an Impact through Music Spring brings many things to enjoy as the weather becomes inviting and everyone can delight in nature s wonderful outdoors. Music is also one of the best prescriptions for peace of mind and good times. It makes people happy and there is no better remedy or easier escape from a day s concerns than listening to a favorite song or band. Many of the parks can fill the need for both nature and music! Many of the parks offer music entertainment for guests. In this newsletter, we are going to feature two Friends Groups that have had phenomenal success with the music programs they present at their parks. There is also an article introducing a new music trail, similar to the Crooked Road Music Trail in Southwest Virginia, which is now being planned for the state parks and communities in the Central and Southern Virginia Region. Upcoming Events 2/25 Wilderness Road State Park Mystery Dinner Theatre 3/06 Smith Mountain Lake State Park The Culture of the Through Hiker: Appalachian Trail and Pacific Coast Trail'' 3/26 Lake Anna State Park Easter 'Egg'-xtravaganza Scavenger Hunt Important Announcement Do you have an upcoming event you would like to feature? Contactt Bobby Wilcox at Bobby.Wilcox@dcr.virginia.gov Organizing a music event can take a lot of planning and effort but once the done becomes easier every year. Many fear planning such an event is overwhelming. Be aware, many volunteers can help you so don t hesitate to ask! Page 1 of 5

2 Meet Cyndi Juarez Director of Volunteer Services Cyndi Juarez, Director of Community Engagement and Volunteerism, is a Certified Volunteer Administrator and has worked for Virginia State Parks for the past ten years. Prior to working with the parks, Cyndi worked for municipal districts and military support organizations in the role of volunteer program manager. Cyndi became a California Certified Nurserywoman, when she began her career working in the nursery department of Home Depot. Cyndi has been married for over 20 years to her husband Gilbert, a Lt. Colonel in the US Marine Corps. They have four children, three of whom have graduated college and the fourth is currently attending school in California. With 10 moves so far, Cyndi is grateful for the USMC lifestyle that has provided so many opportunities to relocate and meet new friends. Working with park staff and volunteers is a privilege she does not take for granted and is inspired every day to serve and make a difference. When not working, she mostly thinks about work, enjoys walking and readily admits she spends way too much time on her iphone. You know when people can get excited over ordinary things in life, they live. Harry S. Truman, 33 rd President of the United States. Two Virginia State Parks Friends Groups Enjoy the Benefits by Making a Serious Impact through Concerts Friends of Belle Isle State Park Presents Music By The River Successful, enjoyable, rewarding and just plain fun are words that best describe the Friends of Belle Isle Music By The River concert series. Throughh loyal sponsorships and appealing bands, the concert venue has been a constant and dependable revenue stream as well as a good time for several years for the Friends of Belle Isle. If you have never visited Belle Isle State Park, it is located in a sparsely populated area of Virginia with less than desirable access. One key reasonss why the concert series has been so successful is the result of a much energized Friends Group membership promoting the venue through community events and a diligent pursuit of sponsors. The most recent count included seventeen sponsors, which consist of a variety of local businesses including a super market, a bank, a newspaper, a radio station and several other service oriented businesses throughout the region. With the Rappahannock River providing a beautiful backdrop, the concerts have become a fun filled festival for park guests. Designed for family enjoyment, the concert activities draw visitors of all ages. It is amazing to see what can be accomplished when a group doesn t accept It Can t Be Done and set their sights on doing it. Simply put, the Friends of Belle Isle State Park are amazing! Page 2 of 5

3 Friends of Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park present Gathering in the Gap Music Festival 2016 will be the celebration of the 10 th year for the Gathering in the Gap Music Festival for the Friends of Southwest Virginia Museum. Tremendously popular, the Friends Group manages the festival which has become a huge Big Stone Gap tourist attraction. Expanding on their phenomenal success with the music festival, this Friends Group also assists with the park s Lunch on the Lawn held each Friday at noon during June and July. The First Saturday Community Coffee House is another event the Friends of Southwest Virginia Museum provides assistance. The Friends Group members, however, are far from being spectators! They also assist with the new and exciting event, WiseJams - Keeping the Appalachian Culture Alive at the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park. The WiseJams is one of the most dynamic programs ever brought to Virginia State Parks. The Southwest Virginia Museum State Park in partnership with Wise County, the Town of Big Stone Gap, the Crooked Road Music Trail and many local leaders have designed activities and events to preserve Appalachian music by teaching it to the youth of the region. Students from grades 4 8 are learning to play Old-Time musical instruments at the state park after school and, because of the WiseJams program, mountain music is alive and well at the Southwest Virginia Museum State Park and the surrounding region. WiseJams offers the local youth a chance to learn the Appalachian Mountainn Music, which is native to the region. Building upon the history and appeal of this unique and traditional American music, WiseJams is designed to keep the music alive and enjoyed by generations far in the future. Routes of Rhythm Music Trail For 6 very fortunate Virginia State Parks and their Friends Groups Central and Southern Virginia, there are new and exciting event opportunities are on the horizon. Bear Creek Lake, Holiday Lake, Page 3 of 5

4 Powhatan, Staunton River, Twin Lakes and Occoneechee State Parks are joining a parallel music trail initiative with the Virginia s Retreat Tourism Marketing Consortium. The idea of a new music trail originated with the inspiring vision of Joe Elton, Deputy Director of DCR, and is rapidly becoming a reality. The Virginia s Retreat Tourism Marketing Consortium, now celebrating its 23 rd year, consists of 11 counties in Central and Southern Virginia as well as the City of Petersburg. Included within the region are all of the towns, chambers of commerce, businesses, venues, and amenities that appeal to tourists. Also, eight Virginia State Parks are members and avid supporters of the Virginia s Retreat Consortium. Together, the governmental members promote tourism by expanding the public s awareness of the many treasures available for enjoyment throughout the region. Inspired by the tremendous success of the Crooked Road Music Trail in Southwest Virginia, the Virginia s Retreat group began serious discussions following a presentation given by Joe Elton and Craig Seaver, Director of Virginia State Parks, who identified several famous music celebrities who were either born in Central and Southern Virginia or have resided in the region. The discussions quickly produce 2 committees, one for the Virginia State Parks and one for the Virginia s Retreat Consortium. Representatives from each committee meet frequently for progress updates as the Routes of Rhythm Music Trail develops. Eric Hougland, Virginia State Park s District 4 Manager, is the person who came up with the name, Routes of Rhythm Music Trail. The State Park staff members who serve on the State Park committee are Eric Hougland, Chairman, Zoe Rogers, Jodi Williams, Adam Layman, Josh Ellington, Tom Kneipp and Bobby Wilcox. The committee is well organized with each committee member having areas of responsibility such as marketing, education, infrastructure, community engagement, financing and events. Each community and state park within the music trail region is designing music events for their specific venues including festivals. One such festival is a four day event now being planned to take place in this June in Farmville. In addition to the Farmville festival, each state park with amphitheaters will be planning music events for the park guests throughout the year. The Routes of Rhythm Music Trail offers each Friends Group the perfect opportunity to plan its own music events for raising funds for their park s enhancement as well as recruiting new members. One very exciting participant of the Routes of Rhythm Music Trail is the Historic WSVS FM-AM Radio Station in Crewe, Virginia. Located almost next door to Twin Lakes and High Bridge Trail State Parks, several past and current Country and blue Grass Music stars have performed in the Historic WSVS studio including Flatt and Scruggs for whom the studio is named. C.J. Jones, owner of WSVS, is developing a museum for tourists to visit the station which has not changed in its over 60 year existence. Virginia State Parks guests will be able to enjoy a tour of the station with all of its original equipment still in place, much of which is still being used for broadcasting. Educational programs for students and tourists are planned which will offer additional enjoyment for Virginia State Parks guests. What makes WSVS even more special for the state parks is its convenience Page 4 of 5

5 since it lies precisely at the music trail s center at the intersection of 2 major highways, Routes 360 and 460. Both highways are heavily travelled corridors that run through Southern and Central Virginia. News from the Virginia Association for Parks The Virginia Association for Parks (VAFP) is always busy searching for ways to enhance the Virginia State Parks for visitors to enjoy a pleasant and unique visit. In spite of the immense amount of work that the VAFP officers and members volunteer for the welfare of the Virginia State Parks, it is not all work and the best proof of that is fully evident at the VAFP Conferences. For those VAFP members who attend either the spring or fall conference, they have the opportunity to enjoy superb music entertainment during both evenings. One of the most popular performances is performed by the VAFP Troubadours. Consisting of current and former DCR staff members as well as occasional VAFP volunteers, the group performs Country, Blue Grass and other popular types of music with even an occasional Beatles tune slipped in to spark the VAFP member s memories. Their entertainment is fantastic and the entire evening is full of laughs. Perhaps in the future, we can persuade these uniquely talented performers to do a live broadcast in the Historic Flatt and Scruggs Studio at the WSVS FM-AM Radio Station. Virginia State Parks enews The Virginia State Parks enews is full of state park news, past, present and future. It provides up to date state park news and happenings for by thousands of subscribers. To subscribe, visit the Virginia State Parks home page at At the bottom of the home page, look for the section Stay connected then click on enewsletter sign up. You can Stay Connected by subscribing to the Virginia State Parks enews. Volunteer Appreciation Pocahontas State Park Page 5 of 5