In celebration of Arbor Day in Colorado (April 17^th), and Earth Day around the world (April 22^nd), Claire Averill of Perry & Co. continues her program to give away trees to 4^th grade students in two public elementary schools in the Cherry Creek school district.  Since she became a sponsor of Fourth Grade Foresters USA three years ago, Claire has given away 400 Colorado blue spruce seedlings to the students to take home, plant and nurture.

 

“The Fourth Grade Foresters project has provided me with the opportunity to share my passion for preserving our environment and giving back to the Earth.  I sincerely hope our young people will embrace this project and make conservation and care of our environment a way of life,” said Claire during this year’s tree give-away at Willow Creek Elementary School in Centennial, Colorado, on Friday, April 17, 2009.   

 

The project, organized by www.FreeTreesandPlants.com  has four major goals:

 

·         To revitalize the observation of Arbor Day in America’s schools on the official Arbor Day proclaimed in their own state.

·         To send every fourth grader home with a tree to plant and care for.

·         To support employment of workers with disabilities. (Each tree is individually packaged for distribution by workers with disabilities.) 

·         To bring schools, private individuals, businesses and organizations together to have direct positive impact on the urban forest of their communities. 

 

Through individual sponsorship there is no cost of the trees or the program to the students, teachers or the school district. 

 

All four of Claire’s children attended Willow Creek Elementary School and even though they’ve grown up, she loves to be involved with their alma mater and has expanded the program to include Creekside Elementary, too. The Creekside tree give-away is on Tuesday, April 21, 2009.   She hopes others will get involved in this great program:  “It’s good for kids, it’s good for the air you and I breathe every day, and it’s good for the Earth.  Plus, my kids think I’m a hero!” 

 

 

Written by Perry & Co Marketing Director Lorrie Grillo