Youth in the community will be getting an extra boost from the Kiwanis Club of Golden Ears after the group’s annual plant sale raised thousands over the weekend.
Members of the club sold nearly $50,000 in hanging baskets filled with colourful flowers like petunias, geraniums, and fuchsias – in almost every colour of the rainbow.
There were 2,000 plants sold.
“It’s incredible to witness the ongoing support from the community for our annual plant sale, and it’s clear that our efforts are continuously blossoming,” said club president Kim Dumore – noting the pun is intended.
“The experience of seeing community members come together to collect their plants, share stories, and contribute back is genuinely remarkable.”
This year, they welcomed new volunteers to the event, unloading four trucks of plants at 5:30 a.m. on the Ridge Meadows Hospital grounds for the Friday, May 10, sale and then selling hundreds of more plants on the second day of the sale, Saturday, May 11, in the parking lot of the Ridge Meadows Hospice Thrift Store.
All the proceeds from the sale will stay within the communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, said Dumore, primarily benefiting youth initiatives.
READ ALSO: Kiwanis sells plants to support kids in community
Lynn Prindle, a Kiwanis member, and plant sale coordinator, enjoys being a part of the Kiwanis club because she believes that it’s important to volunteer.
“I believe in the causes that the Kiwanis supports and the people are fantastic and it’s a great deal of fun,” she said on Friday at the sale on the hospital grounds.
The Kiwanis Club of Golden Ears hands out bursaries for high school graduates and an Unsung Hero Award given to local community champions who demonstrates exemplary volunteerism within Maple Ridge or Pitt Meadows.
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Money is also distributed elsewhere.
“It’s inspiring that we can share how events like the plant sale contribute to meaningful projects, such as our recent $30,000 donation towards the new Tsuyuki Spray Park in Maple Ridge, set to have its grand opening on May 18th,” Dumore said.