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Winter, despite threats to the contrary, finally ended. Now we're all feeling the exhilaration of a beautiful spring in Virginia, which also means it's that time again. The Cap2Cap, our biggest and most important fundraiser, is just a few weeks away, so it seems like a good time to talk about why we raise money.
In the next twelve months, the VCTF will be fabricating signage for installation along the 50+ miles Virginia Capital Trail. This includes mileage markers, wayfinding, and historical interpretive signs. We'll also be adding amenities like rain shelters, bike repair stations, benches, bike racks and other assorted enhancements to make the trail experience great. We have money available from a federal grant awarded a few budget cycles ago. To spend this, however, we need to raise over $125,000 in matching funds. The Cap2Cap contributes significantly towards this goal.
Since we're just over a year from completion, we're also turning our sights towards promoting this valuable amenity. Maximizing its tourism potential and the economic impact for the region, requires aggressive marketing and a compelling online presence. Whether you live in Richmond or Williamsburg, or are coming from far away, the Virginia Capital Trail experience should beckon from whatever electronic device you have. And once you're on the trail, we need technology to be right there with you. Finding everything around you--history, wildlife, restaurants, hotels, a safe place to ride out a storm--in an easy and elegant way, no matter where you are on the trail, is a must.
We talk a lot about the transformative power of this trail; its potential to draw hundreds of thousands of people every year to our part of Virginia. Once complete, it will become the tipping point locally for the creation of more separate multiuse trails just like it. The region has a huge and growing contingent of folks willing to speak up for safe biking infrastructure. Once everyone knows what that looks like, and how fun it is to run, walk, and ride completely separated from cars, those numbers will only multiply. Change will come quickly when that happens. And as we all know, a great place to ride a bike is a great place to live.
So think about joining us on May 10. Join the 2,500 participants, our generous corporate sponsors, the vendors and volunteers, and the hard working VCTF staff and board of directors for a day of support, celebration, anticipation and most of all fun.
See you there,
Beth Weisbrod
Executive Director
Virginia Capital Trail Foundation
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