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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Hello Virginia Federationists,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>I hope you all had a wonderful </span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>2022 NFB of Virginia Convention<span style='color:black'>. Although it may seem like it’s still </span>three<span style='color:black'> months away, Washington Seminar is fast approaching, in person from </span></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Monday, January 30 through Thursday, February 2, 2023. </span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>I wanted to send out some info to help you begin thinking about reserving your room and making arrangements in your schedule to attend.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>The legislative Committee needs to begin creating teams of those who will be attending Washington Seminar and start scheduling appointments with members of Congress. So the earlier you can let us know whether you will be attending, the better. Please let us know by December 28 whether you plan to attend. When you let us know, please provide the name of your member of the House of Representatives. If you don’t know, please provide your address including street address and ZIP code so we can easily look it up. If you want to look it up yourself, you can access this information at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><a href="https://www.house.gov/">https://www.house.gov/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>The Great-Gathering-In is scheduled for Monday, January </span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>30<span style='color:black'>, 20</span>23<span style='color:black'>. </span></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>The Great Gathering-In is the official kickoff meeting for our 2023 Washington Seminar. </span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>The deadline for making hotel reservations with the Holiday Inn Capitol is December 28, 20</span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>23<span style='color:black'>, and although I know most of you are busy as we approach the holiday season, the hotel would certainly appreciate getting your reservations as early as possible to ensure that you secure your reservation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:#F1F1F1;vertical-align:baseline'><span style='font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:#333333'>Please reserve your room at the </span><span style='font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:black'>Holiday Inn Washington Capitol – National Mall, </span><span style='font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:#333333'>550 C Street, SW Washington, DC 20024. </span><span style='font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:#F1F1F1;vertical-align:baseline'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Rates are $129 per night for a double or $109 per night for a single. Keep in mind those rates do not include the 14.95% District of Columbia sales tax. </span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Lato;color:black;background:white'>To book a room, please use our </span><span style='color:black'><a href="https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/washington/wassm/hoteldetail?fromRedirect=true&qSrt=sBR&qIta=99801505&icdv=99801505&qSlH=WASSM&qGrpCd=NB8&setPMCookies=true&qSHBrC=HI&qDest=550%20C%20Street%20S.W.,%20Washington,%20DC,%20US&srb_u=1" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Lato;color:#005AA3;background:white;text-decoration:none'>booking link</span></a></span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Lato;color:black;background:white'>.</span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Lato;color:black'><br><span style='background:white'>Or call 877-834-3613 and use group code NB8.</span></span><span style='font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Last year, we had a record number of Virginians attending</span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> our virtual sessions<span style='color:black'>! </span>This year, we are going to Washington in person. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>January will mark the start of the 118th Congress, and we wanted to make sure we were one of the first groups new members met with. </span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Please encourage all your chapter members, friends, and acquaintances to attend so we can show Congress that blind Virginians are committed to our important issues!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Please stay tuned in the coming weeks for updates on our legislative issues and training schedules. Regarding COVID-19, we will not be requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test to attend the 2023 Washington Seminar. We will require that all attendees of the Great Gathering-In and the 2:00 p.m. Legislative Seminar Training on Monday, January 30, wear masks. </span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact me, your co-legislative director, at <a href="mailto:deepa.goraya@gmail.com">deepa.goraya@gmail.com</a> or call me at 9099643699.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Deepa Goraya<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Co-Legislative Director<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Virginia<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>