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$750

Congratulations to All 2025 Green Grant Awardees!

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Green Grants LogoWe’re celebrating another successful year of our Green Grants program!

We were excited to see organizations step forward with thoughtful, inspiring ideas for positive changes in their communities. A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who applied—and a big congratulations to our 2025 Green Grant recipients! (See list and links below.)

With 112 grant applications vying for 30 grant awards, the judges had a challenging time evaluating and scoring the applications. We extend our sincere appreciation to our panel of expert judges for their thoughtful evaluation of each application.

We’re also deeply grateful to our sponsors – their support makes this program possible!

Below, you’ll find a recap of the 2025 grant awards, with links to each blog article to learn more.  The Green Grants program continues to showcase the power of volunteers and the ripple effect of community-driven action. The projects funded this year will not only beautify and improve local environments but also inspire others to follow suit.

Since 2011, Keep Virginia Beautiful has proudly awarded $360,250 in funding to support 435 projects across the Commonwealth. From bustling cities to quiet rural towns, historic parks to local municipalities, our grants have touched communities as diverse as Virginia itself.

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6/1/2025 The Flora of Virginia Project $500 Community Beautification
6/2/2025 Hands On Harvests $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/3/2025 Rocktown High School Earth Club $750 Community Beautification
6/4/2025 Clean Essex Committee $1,000 Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling
6/5/2025 Olde Towne Business Association $500 Litter Prevention or Abatement
6/6/2025 Arrowhead Elementary School $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/7/2025 Courts of St Francis HOA $1,000 Community Beautification
6/8/2025 Scottsville Center for Arts and Nature $1,000 Litter Prevention or Abatement
6/9/2025 Northstar Academy and Career Center $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/10/2025 Our Health, Inc. $500 Community Beautification
6/11/2025 Coastal Composite Squadron $1,000 Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling
6/12/2025 Friends of Natural Bridge State Park $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/13/2025 Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail $500 Community Beautification
6/14/2025 Rivanna Conservation Alliance $1,000 Litter Prevention or Abatement
6/15/2025 Elizabeth River Trail Foundation $1,000 Community Beautification
6/16/2025 Claytor Lake Chapter Izzak Walton League $1,000 Litter Prevention or Abatement
6/17/2025 Supernova Alliance $1,000 Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling
6/18/2025 Jonnie B. Deel Memorial Library $500 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/19/2025 Lee County Garden Club $750 Community Beautification
6/20/2025 Tech For Troops $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/21/2025 Friends of Peak Creek $500 Litter Prevention or Abatement
6/22/2025 Affordable Homes & Communities $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/23/2025 Newport News Green Foundation $1,000 Community Beautification
6/24/2025 Barns of Rose Hill $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/25/2025 Waterway Cleanups $1,000 Litter Prevention or Abatement
6/26/2025 Hopewell Recreation & Parks $1,000 Community Beautification
6/27/2025 Danville Science Center $1,000 Litter Prevention or Abatement
6/28/2025 Friends of Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office Co $1,000 Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling
6/29/2025 Downtown Greens $750 Community Beautification
6/30/2025 Virginia Institute of Marine Science $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
Photo of native plants installed in a public place in Fredericksburg by Downtown Greens

Downtown Greens Awarded $750 Green Grant

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Photo of native plants installed in a public place in Fredericksburg by Downtown GreensDowntown Greens in City of Fredericksburg is awarded a $750 Green Grant in the Community Beautification category as part of Keep Virginia Beautiful’s 15th Annual Green Grants program.

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community. Grants must focus on one of the following priorities: Litter Prevention, Recycling & Waste Reduction, Cigarette Litter Prevention & Recycling, or Community Beautification.

Downtown Greens is a non-profit organization in downtown Fredericksburg with a mission of making the lives of their community members better by connecting people with nature. Downtown Greens achieved that mission through land conservation and environmental stewardship of that land. For the past 30 years, they have worked tirelessly to provide safe and accessible green space to the residents of their community.

Funds provided by the Green Grant will be used to purchase native plants, such as American Alumroot, Golden Ragwort, Spreading Woodrush, Cardinal Flower, Hearts-a-Burstin’, and
Virginia Sweetspire.  They will also create custom educational signage.  By installing signage, it creates a record of which plants are intentionally installed there, what purpose they serve, and explain on-going management practices and ecological stewardship goals.

The focus of the Green Grant project area is one that has been cleared of the most invasive species, with work being done to install native plant species in that area to fill the voids. Another vital part of the project is to provide educational signage in that area, as well as free educational walks. The signage will not only help Downtown Green’s community, neighbors, and visitors to understand Downtown Greens’ mission and enhance the educational aspect of the space, but will also provide a map of the lower garden property.

Barrel container holding a variety of pink ad purple flowers

Lee County Garden Club Awarded a Green Grant

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Barrel container holding a variety of pink ad purple flowersLee County Garden Club in Jonesville is awarded a $750 Green Grant in the Community Beautification category as part of Keep Virginia Beautiful’s 15th Annual Green Grants program.    

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community.  Grants must focus on one of the following priorities:   Litter Prevention, Recycling & Waste Reduction, Cigarette Litter Prevention & Recycling, or Community Beautification. 

Lee County Garden Club was formed in 1937 and pledged to protect and conserve the natural resources of the planet, becoming caretakers of air, water, forest, land and wildlife. Since then, a lot of the focus has been on the Jonesville area to improve the look of Main Street and Cumberland Park.  

When Hurricane Helene hit the area last fall, the winds destroyed the areas of the park, including the beautiful, covered pavilion, and several large old trees. On Main Street, the half-barrel pots were ruined as well as the hanging pots on the old-fashioned lampposts.  Members of the Lee County Garden Club will work to replace the barrel planters and hanging pots, and fill them with soil, flowers and mulch.  The second focus area for Community Beautification is in front of the town hall, which has only tree stumps remaining. 

With donations of plants purchased by members and funds provided by the Green Grant, the Garden Club will return Main Street and the park to its former beauty.  They will mulch borders, a few areas of perennials, dwarf trees, and add a bench and solar lights. A local contractor will be grinding the stumps at no charge to contribute to the beautification efforts. 

Hopefully, it will aid in the return to normalcy of the town after Helene struck and uplift the spirits of residents and visitors. 

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Congratulations to the 2024 Green Grants Awardees!

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Green Grants LogoWe’ve had a wonderful time announcing the 30 Green Grants awards for 2024 throughout the month of June!  The awardees were from organizations across much of the Commonwealth, with plans for Community Beautification, Cigarette Litter Prevention Programs, Litter Prevention, and Recycling and Waste Reduction efforts that will surely improve our natural and scenic environment!

The number of grant applications we receive each year continues to grow, with over three times the number of applications than the 30 awards.  It’s difficult for the panel of expert judges to narrow it down to the top contenders, and we appreciate their time and expertise.

We’ll share photos and triumphs as their goals are accomplished between now and October 1st.  Below is the list of awards, along with a link to the Latest News blog posts for each announcement.  We hope that you’ll be read them and be inspired or even motivated to plan a similar event in your community!

We’re especially grateful to our sponsors who make this program possible!

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Announced                      Category Amount              Organization
6/1/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $1,000 Art Hive Creative Reuse & Art Center
6/2/2024 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program $750 Keep Middlesex Beautiful
6/3/2024 Community Beautification $1,000 Town of Hillsville
6/4/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $1,000 Saint Patrick Catholic School
6/5/2024 Community Beautification $1,000 Friends of Fonticello Park
6/6/2024 Litter Prevention $1,000 Friends of the Buchanan County Public Library
6/7/2024 Community Beautification $1,000 Fort Story Community Garden
6/8/2024 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program $1,000 Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office
6/9/2024 Litter Prevention $500 James Monroe Memorial Foundation
6/10/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $1,000 Friends of Occoneechee State Park
6/11/2024 Litter Prevention $1,000 Nauticus
6/12/2024 Community Beautification $500 Franklin County Master Gardeners Association
6/13/2024 Litter Prevention $1,000 Rivanna Conservation Alliance
6/14/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $1,000 Virginia Living Museum
6/15/2024 Litter Prevention $1,000 The Chincoteague Center
6/16/2024 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program $1,000 Winchester Area Temporary Thermal Shelter
6/17/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $1,000 Jon Henry General Store
6/18/2024 Community Beautification $750 Gloucester County Clean Community
6/19/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $500 Ferrum College
6/20/2024 Litter Prevention $1,000 Richmond Community ToolBank
6/21/2024 Community Beautification $1,000 The Highland Center
6/22/2024 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program $1,000 Town of St. Paul
6/23/2024 Community Beautification $750 Bragg Hill Community Garden
6/24/2024 Litter Prevention $750 Cville Tool Library
6/25/2024 Community Beautification $1,000 Keep Hopewell Beautiful
6/26/2024 Litter Prevention $500 Troop 50126 (Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital)
6/27/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $1,000 Blue Ridge Mountains Council, Boy Scouts of America
6/28/2024 Community Beautification $1,000 Birdhouse Farmers Market Inc
6/29/2024 Community Beautification $1,000 Culpepper Garden
6/30/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $1,000 Friends of Natural Bridge State Park

 

Photo of people around a work table with various hand tools

2024 Green Grants Award #24: Cville Tool Library

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Photo of people around a work table with various hand toolsCongratulations to our 24th Green Grant award of $750 announced today that goes to the Cville Tool Library!

The Cville Tool Library is a volunteer-run organization in Charlottesville that builds and maintains a library of tools for members to borrow for home repair, maintenance, and personal projects. The Tool Library also offers classes in making, repairing, and maintenance skills.

The Cville Tool Library has so much to offer the community! It helps people save money buy not having to purchase expensive tools they might only use one time, and saves space at home by not having to store tools that you would only use occasionally. Or by donating unused tools to the Tool Library, you can reduce, reuse, and recycle, thereby helping the environment.

Membership fees for the Cville Tool Library are on a sliding scale, making tool access affordable for all in the community without requiring income verification. Additionally, the Tool Library partners with Habitat for Humanity to offer no-fee access to any Habitat Homeowner who would like to borrow tools as a member.

The Cville Tool Library plans to increase its tool inventory to make twenty litter pick-up kits that will be available for individuals or groups to gather litter in areas of their choosing in the City of Charlottesville or Albemarle County.  Funds provided by the Green Grants award will be used to purchase supplies to conduct safe litter cleanups, such as litter grabbers, safety vests, and gloves.  The tool library regularly loans tools to its members, and maintains a tool inventory at its location in the Visible Records warehouse at 1740 Broadway Street in Charlottesville.

The Cville Tool Library will let the public know about the availability of the litter kits through email and social media, and reach out to community groups who may have an interest in organizing a group cleanup project.  The Tool Library will coordinate with interested individuals or groups to schedule and deliver an appropriate number of kits for their desired project date, arrange for kits to be returned, and provide maintenance and replacement supplies as needed.

This is a wonderful partnership for the community to keep their homes, gardens, and living spaces well-maintained, updated, and clean with the Cville Tool Library!

Photograph of people in a garden area with vegetables growing.

2024 Green Grants Award #23: Bragg Hill Community Garden

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Photograph of people in a garden area with vegetables growing.Congratulations to the University of Mary Washington (UMW) Center for Community Engagement for their award of $750 Green Grant to benefit the Bragg Hill Community Garden!

The UMW Center for Community Engagement is located on the Fredericksburg campus of the University of Mary Washington. Founded in 2019, the mission is to serve as a catalyst for community engagement between UMW and the greater communities, building bridges between students, faculty, staff, and community partners through effective relationships that bring about student learning and positive social change.  UMW students regularly engage in the community and support weekly and monthly volunteer programs addressing community needs. The Bragg Hill Community Garden (BHCG) is one of many projects designed with community needs in mind.

The BHCG serves a diverse, lower income neighborhood and provides access to greenspace, food, and outdoor recreation free of charge to city residents. The City of Fredericksburg’s Parks & Rec provides access to the land and free water, and a group of leaders at UMW manage the garden and recruit UMW student volunteers to assist with building and maintaining the garden plots. The garden seeks to provide access regardless of economic hardship, physical disability or language barriers.

Funds from the Green Grants award will be used to purchase supplies for the garden, including plants, new hoses, additional hoes, rakes, shovels, pruners, and trimmers.  This will allow the project to continue providing free tools, plants, garden beds, and other resources to numerous community members each year, regardless of their financial standing. This is part of our social justice mission providing access to greenspace, food, and outdoor recreation free of charge to residents, so there are no barriers to participation.

The garden, heading into its 3rd year, has been successful in “placemaking” and beautifying the Bragg Hill neighborhood.  They have successfully worked with residents of the neighborhood and community organizations to not only convert an abandoned lot into a beautiful flower and vegetable garden, but to have also created a public space where neighbors can gather, “strengthening the connection between people and the places they share.”

The Center for Community Engagement and the students are committed to the maintenance of the Bragg Hill Community Garden, which has become a vibrant heart of the community.  For them, it’s an investment in the well-being of both people and the planet!

Thank you UMW for making the Bragg Hill Community Garden such a beautiful place!

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2024 Green Grants Award #18: Gloucester County Clean Community

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Congratulations to Gloucester County Clean Community for their Green Grants award of $750 for their Community Beautification plans!

Gloucester County Clean Community strives to help keep Gloucester County clean and green. Clean Community promotes recycling and proper disposal of solid waste, facilitates group cleanups and beautification projects, conducts community outreach and education programs in schools and for groups, and applies for and manages grants that fund local cleanup and green-up projects.

Photo of a half-pike skateboard rampGloucester County has a small skatepark called Brown Park. The skating elements were installed in 2010 and 2018. At the time local skaters and families helped to paint “Virginia Is for Skaters” on the then new-to-Gloucester half-pike. As the years have passed, the weather has worn out the plywood that was painted and some touches of graffiti here and there have made the skatepark look less attractive.  Clean Community will spruce up the park and make it an inviting and fun place to be again.

With funds provided by the Green Grants award, they will repaint the half-pike, and replace the plywood.  Supplies such as paint, brushes, trays, and other items will be purchased, along with soil and native plants.  A flowerbed with some native plants to attract local pollinators will be added to further beautify the area, as well as planting wildflower seeds around the edge of the park.  High school students, National Art Society members, and other youth groups will assist with this project.

Gloucester County Clean Community believes that this will encourage families, groups and individuals to use the park again, after a period of decline. Kids can use skateboards, skates, and scooters, walk around the park, or have a picnic. It is a great place to enjoy the fresh air, get some exercise, and enjoy the flowers that will be installed.

What a beautiful community improvement!  Thank you Gloucester County Clean Community for caring about our natural and scenic environment!

 

Green background with words Time is running out! Apply for a Green Grant before midnight, April 30; clock with legs running, KVB logo, tiny URL: https://tinyurl.com/2fxd59nf

$500 – $1,000 Grant Apply Through April 30

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Green background with words Time is running out! Apply for a Green Grant before midnight, April 30; clock with legs running, KVB logo, tiny URL: https://tinyurl.com/2fxd59nfWe know that YOU can do great things in your communities, and WE want to help!

We’re awarding $500, $750, and $1,000 Green Grants to groups to improve the natural and scenic environment of Virginia.  Since 2011, Keep Virginia Beautiful has provided $307,000 for 415 programs and projects throughout the state.  The program has been so successful because of the nonprofits, schools, faith-based organizations, civic leagues, “Friends of” groups, Scouts, and others who see a need where they live, and apply for a grant to get it accomplished.

You can apply for a Green Grant in any of the four categories:  Litter Prevention, Cigarette Litter Prevention, Community Beautification, and Recycling.  The applications are evaluated and scored by a panel of experts in their fields, and in June, one Green Grant award is announced one each day, until all thirty awards have been revealed.

The general Grant Application Guidelines should be read before an application is submitted. Click here to start a 2024 Green Grant Application.

Applications are due before midnight on Tuesday, April 30, 2024!

Here are some past awards for inspiration:

  • Friends of a city park installed cigarette butt receptacles in the parking lot and at entrances to the park, to eliminate cigarette butt litter that can clog storm drains and harm wildlife.
  • A church parish started a composting collection program, yielding an average of 50 pounds of food waste that would have been sent to the landfill, but is processed to create rich compost.
  • Classrooms at an elementary school are collecting markers and pens to be recycled through TerraCycle.
  • A neighborhood civic league used grant funds to purchase litter grabbers, safety vests, gloves, and florescent hats for the safety of volunteers during their roadside cleanups.
  • Invasive species were removed and native plants installed along a hiking trail.

Please see our Green Grants webpage for descriptions of the categories, read the general Grant Application Guidelines, and click here to start a 2024 Green Grant Application.

We are grateful to the sponsors of our 2024 Green Grants Program:  Altria, WestRock, and Village Bank!

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Need a Little Seed Money?

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Jar of pennies with a young plant growing out of itOur 2024 Green Grant applications are now available on our Green Grant Program webpage!  Each year we award thirty grants for environmental projects and programs to groups and organizations in Virginia.  The Green Grants program empowers groups all across Virginia to make an environmental impact in their own communities.  This is one of the ways we can engage the people who live in Virginia to improve our natural and scenic environment.

Applications can be submitted between now and April 30, 2024.  Thirty awards will be announced, one each day, in June.  Grant awards are available for $500, $750, or $1,000 proposals. You can read the general Grant Application Guidelines for more information, and can apply in any of the four categories:  Litter Prevention, Recycling/Waste Reduction, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.

There is so much we can do within our own communities, and we hope a little seed money can help you start or enhance a program or try a new method of living in a more sustainable way.

Here are some ideas for projects and programs that you may need to solve a need for

  • Install cigarette butt receptacles in a no-smoking area or parking lot in your;Green Grants Logo
  • Host a Fix-it Fair to keep items out of the landfill that will have life left in them after small repairs;
  • Purchase grabbers, safety vests, and gloves for volunteers to clean up roads and the landscape;
  • Start a composting program with produce that would be thrown away at a restaurant or at a farmers market, to reduce food waste;
  • Supply your classroom with re-usable lunch boxes, water bottles, storage bags, cloth napkins, and utensils to see how much less trash you create each day.

Thank you for caring about the natural and scenic environment in your community, I hope that you’ll apply for a Green Grant this year.  Please reach out to Beckey Watson at [email protected] if you have any questions about the program.

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Congratulations to all of the 2023 Green Grant Awardees!

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Green Grants LogoWe continue to be impressed by the plans and ideas that organizations want to put into action with a Green Grant award.  The judging panel has such a challenging task to evaluate and score all the grant applications.  We sincerely appreciate the work they do, both in their professional fields, and as a volunteer for our organization.  Thank you Green Grant judges!

Thank you to everyone who submitted an application. We wish we could fund them all!  We’re encouraged by the work of volunteers at civic groups, nonprofits, faith-based communities, and others that are striving to improve the natural and scenic environment of the Commonwealth.

And of course the program wouldn’t be possible without the funding and support of our sponsors:  Altria, WestRock, and Village Bank!  We are very grateful for their generous and continued support!

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Below we’ve listed the organizations that were awarded a 2023 Green Grant, along with the category of their project or program, the award amount, and the region of the state where their work will be done.  You can click on the organization’s name to link to our website’s blog announcement.  We hope you’ll visit the announcements of this year’s awards, you’re sure to be inspired!

6/1/2023 Social Music LLC Cigarette Litter Prevention $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/2/2023 Art Guild of Greene Recycling $1,000 Central Virginia
6/3/2023 Pulaski County Litter $1,000 Southwest Virginia
6/4/2023 Verdant Richmond for Maymont Community Garden Community Beautification $1,000 Central Virginia
6/5/2023 Work of Life at Handley High School Recycling $1,000 Shenandoah Mtns/Valley
6/6/2023 Eastern Shore of Virginia Waste Watchers Litter $500 Eastern Shore
6/7/2023 Hanover Master Gardeners Association Community Beautification $750 Central Virginia
6/8/2023 Wakefield Country Day School’s Leo Club Litter $500 Central Virginia
6/9/2023 Clean Essex Committee Cigarette Litter Prevention $500 Central Virginia
6/10/2023 Fairview Farm and Homestead Foundation Community Beautification $500 Southwest Virginia
6/11/2023 Church of the Holy Family Recycling $750 Hampton Roads
6/12/2023 Bay School Community Arts Center Community Beautification $1,000 Central Virginia
6/13/2023 Town of St. Paul Cigarette Litter Prevention $500 Southwest Virginia
6/14/2023 Lake Anna Business Partnership Litter $1,000 Central Virginia
6/15/2023 Department of Military Affairs / Fort Barfoot Recycling $1,000 Central Virginia
6/16/2023 The Greater Scotts Addition Association Litter $1,000 Central Virginia
6/17/2023 City of Salem Community Beautification $1,000 Shenandoah Mtns/Valley
6/18/2023 Lynnhaven River NOW Litter $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/19/2023 The City of Newport News Cigarette Litter Prevention $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/20/2023 Carroll County Recycling $500 Southwest Virginia
6/21/2023 Friends of the Middle River Litter $500 Shenandoah Mtns/Valley
6/22/2023 Piedmont Arts Community Beautification $1,000 Southwest Virginia
6/23/2023 City of Manassas Park Cigarette Litter Prevention $500 Northern Virginia
6/24/2023 Kiptopeke State Park Litter $1,000 Eastern Shore
6/25/2023 Keep Middlesex Beautiful Recycling $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/26/2023 The Mariners’ Museum and Park Community Beautification $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/27/2023 Friends of Leesylvania State Park Litter $1,000 Northern Virginia
6/28/2023 Page County Solid Waste & Recycling Cigarette Litter Prevention $1,000 Shenandoah Mtns/Valley
6/29/2023 RVA Rapid Transit Litter $750 Central Virginia
6/30/2023 Town of Independence Community Beautification $750 Southwest Virginia

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