An Illinois company is teaming up with a magazine to offer a reader the chance to help a community group expand its mission and services into the great outdoors. The first-ever “Win a Landscape for a Cause” contest is co-sponsored by North Shore magazine and Chalet, Wilmette, Ill.
The two partners, who have served the North Shore for more than 30 and 90 years respectively, will award one landscape or garden to a local non-profit organization or public entity that demonstrates a need for such a project. Ideas may include an enabling garden, municipal facility landscape, memorial garden or science/school garden to be designed and installed by Chalet. Total retail value, which includes labor and materials, will be up to $100,000.
Contestants must complete the application form and mail it to Chalet Landscape Project, 3132 Lake Ave., Wilmette, IL 60091, by Friday, Jan. 30, 2009. Winners will be announced in April 2009, and installation will begin in spring or summer of 2009.
The companies set the following criteria:
- The space must be for the public good or serve public, community or a special interest such as for a not-for-profit organization.
- There must be a demonstrated need for the landscape or garden.
- Application must be on behalf of, and benefit, a not-for-profit organization, school, park district, municipality, agricultural and horticultural entity, environmental agency or other steward serving public interest.
- Applicant or entity must be in the Chicago’s North Shore area.
- Applicant will have set up no impediments to the timeline, access to the space, or to the work Chalet is required to do in order to complete a beautiful, durable and effective landscape solution.
“As a third generation, family-owned landscape, nursery and garden center retail business, we feel called to give back to the North Shore community that has supported us for more than 90 years,” said Larry Thalmann, III, Chalet president. “We do this by responding to the needs of community organizations that provide important programs and services to the less fortunate in our midst. We do it because it’s the right thing to do.”
Chalet’s landscape division is housed on a 28,000-square-foot complex on 16 acres in North Chicago, Ill. Chalet also operates a 183-acre growing nursery in Salem, Wis. For information, call 847/256-0561 or visit www.ChaletNursery.com