By Matt de Simone
Botetourt County officially introduced its very own LOVEWorks sign at the Botetourt Sports Complex Monday morning. Members of the county’s leadership team were joined by representatives from Virginia Tourism, Roanoke Regional Small Business Development Center, and Botetourt Technical Education Center (BTEC) to welcome LOVEWorks’ newest sign to the community.
The sign overlooks Tinker Cliffs, one of Botetourt’s popular hiking destinations. Currently, the sign makes for quite the photo opportunity to any and all who visit the Sports Complex. The colors in the sign represent the county’s “BOCO” branding spreading continuous love for Botetourt County.
The project, which was first discussed between County Administrator Gary Larrowe and County Economic Development Director Ken McFadyen in 2018, came about after McFadyen received a phone call from a Botetourt resident asking why the county didn’t have its own official LOVEWorks sign.
“This is an incredibly fast-paced, growing community and having a LOVE sign is an amenity,” McFadyen said prior to the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Working with the Virginia Tourism Corporation and Katie (Conner)– it was simply a no-brainer and something we just needed to pursue.”
County Board of Supervisors Chair Steve Clinton shared his thoughts about the theme of the sign.
“What could be more beautiful and inspiring than a brisk, bright October morning,” Clinton said. “It’s perfectly appropriate that the morning can be so beautiful and inspiring because what we’re doing today is beautiful and inspiring. It’s the latest piece of public art in Botetourt. What I like about public art is that it’s open and inclusive. Open 24/7, available to all, and accessible to all.
“This is open for all to contemplate and enjoy any time…. This particular piece of public art is noteworthy. The symbolism demonstrates the warm community of our county and invites everyone to fall in love with and to enjoy our history, county, and our country. I’m thrilled to dedicate this sign this morning and to say thank you to all who worked so hard on it, especially the BTEC students whose innovation, hard work, and dedication resulted in something we can be proud of for many years to come.”
Virginia Tourism Senior Destination Development Manager and Botetourt native Katie Conner shared some of the history about the LOVEWorks program. The official listing of the sign can be found on the Virginia Tourism website (www.virginia.org/listing/lovework-in-botetourt/35449).
In 2019, Heather Fay with the Roanoke Regional Small Business Development Center joined the project and worked with the county to plan the concept, location and how the sign would be manufactured. Fay and the county began planning the project with the support of the Botetourt Technical Education Center (BTEC). Following a brief pause in production (2020), the sign was completed and now on display.
The county’s communications team led by Director Tiffany Bradbury joined Luke Campbell and the Economic Development Authority (EDA) helping with the design work. They reached out to local businesses Twist & Turns, Renaissance, and The Sign Factory for additional help. County facilities worked with local contractors on the cement pad that sign now rests upon.
BTEC Principal Mike Ketron introduced Cameron Ferguson, a welding student at BTEC, who crafted the county’s LOVE Sign.
“This project started last year when I was a junior,” Ferguson shared with the crowd in attendance. “It was a great experience learning all of the different processes. Like the sign says, I love it.”
The new Botetourt County LOVE sign is located at 160 Preston Parkway in Troutville.
