Turn the ignition, roll down the windows, and crank up the radio: there’s nothing quite like a summertime drive.
It doesn’t matter if I’m running to an appointment, dropping the kids off at day camp - or ideally, going to the beach - as long as the sun is shining, the music is soothing, and the wind is blowing through my hair.
Of course, driving is a daily necessity for many of us living in a rural state, but that doesn’t take away my appreciation for a good road trip. But the people I know also share my concern about the impact our driving has on the environment.
This summer, let Vermont Public Radio help you connect the dots with the VPR Summer Car Raffle! Starting on June 14, you can
purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, provided by our good friends at
Heritage Automotive Group in South Burlington.
The VPR Summer Car Raffle is a first for VPR, and we’re hoping to make it just as fun as a summer road trip. Over the next four weeks, you’ll hear from people in the community about the many great reasons to participate, and we’ll share your favorite summer road trips, road tunes, driving tips from Car Talk, and more. And to top it off, all proceeds from the raffle will support the programming you value on VPR.
The VPR Summer Car Raffle is open to residents of Vermont and New Hampshire and you must be 18 years old to participate. Please see our website for the
full contest rules. Unfortunately, due to the specifics of certain state and national laws, we are unable to offer raffle tickets to residents of New York, Massachusetts and Canada.
Why is VPR doing a raffle? As you know, we are constantly working to reduce the amount of time we spend fundraising on the air. We’ve looked closely at the success of other public radio stations that have held car raffles and think it is something that our listeners will respond to.
We
will spend just a couple of days on the air in July encouraging listeners to get their hands on some tickets, but it will be a far cry from a membership drive and it will be much, much shorter! If our raffle is a success, we hope that we can reduce the length of membership drives in the future.
I hope you’ll
participate in the VPR Summer Car Raffle; you have until noon on July 17, 2010 to get your tickets. We’ll announce the winner during Car Talk on July 24. I also welcome your feedback and comments on this important effort for your public radio station.
Start your engines!
Sincerely,
Brendan Kinney
Vice President of Development & Marketing
Each June, the VPR staff gets together for lunch to celebrate each other's achievements and milestones. This year, we recognized five employees for their service to VPR.
The only downside of having a lot of hobbies is that you never get as much time as you’d like to spend on any one activity. It used to be that the only choice I had to make was which trail to hike, but my choices have grown exponentially. Now I ask myself, "do I roller skate or run? Mountain or road bike? Read or write? Visit my farmer’s market or explore a new town?" The possibilities are endless!
The Long Trail turns 100 this year, and VPR is planning a month-long series to mark this milestone. We’ll explore the history and future of the Long Trail, learn about the ins and outs of hiking and camping, and meet the people who hike and maintain it today.
Planning for this project has gotten me thinking about my own experience with the Long Trail. While I have yet to hike it end-to-end (one of my lifetime goals!), I’ve spent many happy days and nights on the trail. A few memories that stand out for me:
As a VPR listener you know there are a myriad answers to that question, but today, it’s all about two words:
VPR Classical will soon be on the air in Central Vermont! VPR will be closing on the purchase of Randolph-based WCVR 102.1 FM this month, and VPR Classical will go on the air as WVXR in early July.
At left: VPR listeners and staff with young artists at Chandler Music Hall at a community gathering in May.
Hydro-Quebec was designated by the Vermont Legislature as a renewable energy source this spring. But the decision was not without controversy, as critics examine the environmental impact of the utility's plan to generate more power for New England. Tomorrow, Vermont Edition travels to Montreal to find out what Canadians are saying about this issue.
VPR Classical 90.1 WOXM is now on the air in Addison County! At 9 a.m. this morning, the station went on the air with a broadcast from the Mahaney Center for the Arts at Middlebury College featuring a live performance by pianist Annemieke Spoelstra.
By some miracle of scheduling, the Vermont Edition team has managed to schedule ALL of Vermont's congressional delegation - Rep. Peter Welch, Sen. Patrick Leahy, and Sen. Bernie Sanders - within three weeks.
Sunday was the sixth time I’ve run in the Vermont City Marathon, either as a full marathoner or as part of a relay team. Over the years I’ve come to rely on certain landmarks to keep me going: the solitary bagpiper on Pine Street, the Taiko drummers on Battery Street, the raucous block parties in the New North End, to name just a few. All of them help take my mind off my legs and allow me to enjoy the event that, for me, marks the beginning of summer.
We'll "flip the switch" for VPR Classical in Addison County at 90.1 FM next Tuesday, June 8th, at 9 a.m., and we want you to be part of the celebration! Join us for a community breakfast celebration at the Mahaney Center for the Arts at Middlebury College, featuring a live performance by pianist Annemieke Spoelstra.
We are so happy to welcome Addison County listeners to the VPR Classical family. I hope you will join us or tune in next Tuesday!
