Kids in the Crowsnest Pass area are getting a chance to get their hands dirty with a new community garden.
The Crowsnest Pass Agricultural Society donated a cheque for $1000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Crowsnest Pass, on October 11th.
The donation will go toward continuing the work on Pete’s Park, a Blairmore community garden, according to Nicole Pearse, director of the Boys and Girls Club of Crowsnest Pass.
“Positive supportive interactions and experiences help contribute to positive outcomes for children and youth,“ she said.
The latest donation was meant to coincide with the Walmart Evergreen Grant said Pearse.
The Boys and Girls Club of Crowsnest Pass received $10,000 from the Walmart-Evergreen Green Grants program to plant a community garden in Pete’s Park according to a summer press release from the Boys and Girls Club.
Led by Evergreen and supported by Walmart Canada, the Green Grants program is a national program designed to support community-based initiatives to create greener, healthier communities.
“The gardens have been a fantastic addition to the park, giving the youth in our community an opportunity to plant and care for their project during weekly BGC programs,” said Pearse.
The park was upgraded with new benches, paved pathways and wheelchair accessible picnic tables and washrooms according to the release.
“We intend on expanding our garden program in the spring and hope to recruit more community members to get involved and share their passion for gardening with our youth!”
“The BGCCP is an asset to the community because we provide safe, healthy, fun opportunities and activities for all children and youth in our community,” Pearse said.
“Too often, continued Pearse, the focus of child/youth work is on solving or preventing recurring problems such as truancy, drug-use, teen pregnancy and violence.”
“The BGCCNP has kindergarten to 6 after school programs, PD day and school holiday programs, ‘Girls Only’ and teen leadership programs, including theatre and film production,” said Pearse.
The Walmart-Evergreen Grants program is a partnership between Walmart Canada and Evergreen, a national environmental organization making cities more livable through community naturalization projects, said the release.
“Sustainable urban greening happens when deeply committed community groups across Canada take action to naturalize urban spaces,” said Geoff Cape, executive director of Evergreen.
“Evergreen is pleased to be able to direct funding support to where it can make the most effective change.”
Anyone looking for more information about the BGCCNP can visit www.bgccnp.com.