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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 style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>From Deepa Goraya<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'> NFB of Virginia Legislative Director for Washington Seminar <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'> <a href="mailto:deepa.goraya@gmail.com">deepa.goraya@gmail.com</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'>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'>2023 NFB of Virginia Convention and Thanksgiving holiday<span style='color:black'>. Washington Seminar is fast approaching</span> in less than 2 months<span style='color:black'>, in person from </span></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Monday, January 29 through Thursday, February 1, 2024. Please note, we strive to make all appointments to be completed by late afternoon on January 31.<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 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'>29<span style='color:black'>, 20</span>24<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 </span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>31<span style='color:black'>, 20</span>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:"Lato",sans-serif;color:black;background:white'>To book a room for the 2024 Washington Seminar please use our dedicated </span><a href="https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/find-hotels/select-roomrate?fromRedirect=true&qSrt=sBR&qIta=99801505&icdv=99801505&qSlH=wassm&qCiD=25&qCiMy=002024&qCoD=02&qCoMy=012024&qGrpCd=NF4&setPMCookies=true&qSHBrC=HI&qDest=550%20C%20Street%20S.W.,%20Washington,%20DC,%20US&srb_u=1&qRmFltr=" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#003E70;background:white;text-decoration:none'>Booking Link,</span></a><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:black;background:white'> or call 877-834-3613 and provide our group code, NF4. The room rate for 2024 is $188.00 per night (not including taxes and fees), and the deadline to make a reservation is Sunday, December 31, 2023</span><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'>This year, we are going to Washington in person. <span style='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></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. </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>