News Releases
CLEVELAND (May 25, 2012) – The City of Cleveland, The U.S. Conference of Mayors and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company today join a group of philanthropic partners in the dedication of the Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone’s new gateway park. The installation of the new gateway park, which serves as the official entrance to the Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone, is part of the nationwide GRO1000 gardens and green spaces program.
GRO1000 will establish 1,000 community gardens and green spaces in the U.S., Canada and Europe by 2018. The program is designed to help communities and its residents experience the benefits of community gardening and green spaces and support local hunger needs.
“The GRO1000 initiative is a welcome addition to the City’s “Re-Imagining Cleveland” efforts,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “The new gateway park embodies the goal of both initiatives by providing a beautiful and useable green space that will welcome visitors to the Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone.”
The Cleveland GRO1000 event kicks off at 10:30 a.m. on May 25 in the Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone, at the corner of Kinsman Road and 81st Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44104. Area students and community volunteers will join city officials and GRO1000 national and local partners to install a new green space at the Zone’s entrance. Gardening and environmental education activities will take place for area residents and youth. A deserving group of students will be presented with the ScottsMiracle-Gro Give Back To Gro Youth Gardener Award.
“We are proud to be working with Mayor Jackson and Cleveland officials to redevelop the City through more green spaces and gardens,” said Mike Carbonara, North Regional President for ScottsMiracle-Gro. “Through our GRO1000 partnership, we are seeing communities across the country thrive and grow with the addition of new greenscapes.”
The Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone is a cutting-edge project, which is repurposing 26 acres of vacant, formerly residential land in Cleveland for urban agriculture. Mayor Frank Jackson and the City of Cleveland leadership are committed to the development of urban agriculture, gardens and green spaces as part of the City’s “Re-Imagining Cleveland” initiative.
GRO1000 Cleveland was made possible through the combined efforts of local partners, including the City and of Cleveland, along with national partners including, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, ScottsMiracle-Gro, Plant A Row for the Hungry, the National Gardening Association, the Garden Writers Association and Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The Cleveland GRO1000 event is one of several public installation events being held in the U.S., Canada and Europe in 2012.
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About ScottsMiracle-Gro
With approximately $3 billion in worldwide sales, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Scotts Company LLC, is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care. The Company's brands are the most recognized in the industry. In the U.S., the Company's Scotts®, Miracle-Gro® and Ortho® brands are market-leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup® brand, which is marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto. In Europe, the Company's brands include Weedol®, Pathclear®, Evergreen®, Levington®, Miracle-Gro®, KB®, Fertiligene® and Substral®. For additional information, visit us at www.scotts.com.
Contacts:
Su Lok
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
937-578-5169 (office)
937-309-5616 (mobile)
