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For its excellence in landscaping housing developments, office parks and municipal properties, the community of Westlake, Ohio was rewarded with America in Bloom’s 2005 Landscaped Areas Award, sponsored by Project EverGreen. The fourth annual contest awards communities and institutions working to “Plant Pride in their Communities.”
“Westlake is very deserving of this honor,” says Delilah Onofrey, external relations chair of America in Bloom. “The entire community sets high standards and has established ordinances to both control and enhance development. When you drive through Westlake, you can see it is a city that values landscapes and encourages residential and commercial properties to bloom. It leads by example with its public properties, too.”
The Project EverGreen Landscaped Areas Award is the second for Westlake, which placed first in the initial 2002 population 25,001 to 50,000 category.
America in Bloom is a national campaign and contest that promotes enhancing communities through beautification. Judges visited all of the nearly 50 communities from all regions of the country that participated this year. In the friendly competition, communities are evaluated on their efforts related to floral displays, urban forestry, landscaped areas, turf and groundcover, tidiness, environmental awareness, heritage conservation and community involvement.
“America in Bloom epitomizes what Project EverGreen is all about,” says Paul McDonough, president of the board of Project EverGreen. “Our mission is to promote the benefits of green spaces and America in Bloom literally implements a grassroots program designed to recognize the efforts of communities to beautify their cities through landscaping efforts on a residential and commercial basis. We are proud to be associated with this progam."
| PROJECT EVERGREEN PARTNERS WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | |
Project EverGreen began its relationship with Habitat for Humanity at a landscape completion celebration for four families on Sept. 16 in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The purpose of the partnership is to promote the value of green spaces while simultaneously helping low-income families move into beautifully landcaped homes of their own. As the crews laid the sod, Golden Valley Mayor Linda Loomis, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and Project EverGreen representatives made a presentation to the families receiving the homes, followed by an outdoor lunch. Melinda Lenz from Toro presented each of the families with a lawnmower; shovel, rake and pruners courtesy of Corona Clipper; a Project EverGreen watering can, hat and t-shirt, and literature on the importance of green spaces. Turfgrass Producers International (TPI) members B&B Hoffman Sod Farm, Central Turf Farms and Blue Valley Sod, all Minnesota sod companies, joined forces to donate crews, sod and trucks to the families. TPI is a major contributor to Project EverGreen. The event was covered by local radio and newspaper, and members of the city council were in attendance as well. "Watching the kids roll around on the sod with their parents really brought home how important green spaces are in America’s neighborhoods,” said Den Gardner, executive director of Project EverGreen. “Our partnership with Habitat for Humanity not only accomplishes our mission as an organization, it connects us with people who do not take green spaces for granted. We hope to grow this program to several cities in the U.S. next year.” |
