Community Garden solicits sponsors

Historic City News has been following the progress of Cash S. McVay and his adopted project to build St. Augustine’s first community garden. Now the Lincolnville community project turns to the business community for support.

In a letter to potential business sponsors, McVeigh writes that on Monday, April 27, 2009 residents of St. Augustine secured unanimous approval from the City Commission to use a portion of Eddie Vickers Park behind the Willie Galimore Center on
South Riberia Street for the community garden.

McVeigh says “We are half way through our fund raising drive and need help from St. Augustine’s business community to reach our funding objective so that we can bring this important community endeavor from concept to reality”.

The primary goal of the community garden, according to McVeigh, is to make gardening an integral component of the neighborhood by offering an activity that increases social interaction. Through the volunteer organization, CitySprout, McVeigh would also like for the garden to create awareness that producing food locally is an effective energy conservation program, as well as a vital element to enhance our community’s sustainability.

All donations being sought will go to help create the Lincolnville Community Garden (LCG).

Once that garden is successfully established, City Sprout plans to use LCG as a model to help build a network of community gardens throughout St. Augustine.

McVeigh listed the following benefits of establishing a vibrate gardening network:

• Improve quality of life
• Stimulate Social Interaction
• Encourage Self-Reliance
• Reduce Family Food Budgets
• Produce Nutritious Food
• Beautify Neighborhoods
• Offers Educational Opportunities
• Conserve Resources
• Preserve Green Space
• Offer Intergenerational connections
• Offer Recreation & Exercise

The goal is to complete this fund raising drive by June 2009 and start building Phase I of the Lincolnville Community Garden.

The objective is to have the garden up & running for Fall 2009 planting season.

Sponsorship opportunities offered are:

(1) Make a one- time donation of $250 to Sponsor a Garden Square (Only 6 sponsorships available)
(2) Make a one- time donation of $1,000 to Sponsor the Classroom (Only 2 sponsorships available)
(3) Make a one- time donation of $500 to Sponsor the Tool Shed (Only 2 sponsorships available)
(4) Sponsor CitySprout’s Meetup.com forum for one year with a $100 donation. (Only 2 sponsorships available)

McVeigh said that the one-time donations listed above (items 1, 2 & 3) will go towards the construction of the corresponding
garden structures. Sponsors will be highlighted on the CitySprout website and will also have their name showcased in front of the sponsored garden structures.