My favorite place in the world to run is the Moses Cone Park Carriage Trails--over 25 miles on soft, relatively smooth trails with lakes, forests, streams, views, and varied terrain. You know what else I like? Having restroom facilities at Bass Lake where I typically start and end runs. Someone had to pay for those facilities--The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation funded that project. They also funded a project dear to my heart, our BRPWeather.Com weather site that covers the entire Parkway with custom forecasts, live weather conditions, and web cams.

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation "brings people together to invest in family health, education, cultural enrichment, economic vitality, historic preservation, and outdoor recreation on the Blue Ridge Parkway." Since 1997, more than $10 million has been provided by the Foundation for Blue Ridge Parkway projects and programs. See their current list of projects; you will be impressed!

Investing the the Blue Ridge Parkway is also an investment in our communities and our collective livelihood. The Parkway generates almost a billion dollars each year in tourist revenue and supports about 14,000 jobs. The Blue Ridge Parkway typically ranks as THE MOST VISITED unit of the National Park System--more than Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, and Yosemite combined.

As we celebrate the Centennial year of the National Park Service, please "Relay with Ray" by making a donation to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. It's easy to donate through the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation Website, or you can print, complete, and mail this donation form. If you make a donation through the Foundation Website, under "Dedication", please choose "In honor of" and type "RelayWithRay.Com" in the text box provided under that item.