Project EverGreen Dedicates A Pair of Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids. Projects

Project EverGreen will dedicate a pair of Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids. projects in Hazlet, New Jersey and East Harlem, New York City this week, continuing the initiative’s mission to make athletic and recreational green spaces more accessible to children and communities to enjoy and benefit from.

The dedication for the Steven B. Paterson Memorial Field in Hazlet, New Jersey will take place Thursday, May 18 at 4:00 p.m. and feature remarks from Project EverGreen Executive Director Cindy Code, Hazlet Mayor Sue Kiley, Hazlet Youth Athletic League President Seb Burtone and Don Pucillo, CEO/President, Performance Nutrition, a division of LidoChem. Youth football players and cheerleaders from the Hazlet Youth League Hazlet Hawks will also be in attendance.

The Neighbors of Vega Baja Community Garden dedication will be held Saturday, May 20 at 11:30 am. and will feature remarks from Project EverGreen’s Code, as well as Carlos Martinez, deputy director, NYC Parks GreenThumb and Johnny Rivera, East Harlem district leader.

Steven B. Paterson Memorial Field
Hazlet, New Jersey

Last fall, Project EverGreen, as part of its Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids. ™ Initiative, donated a professional landscaping renovation to restore and improve the weather-damaged field of the Hazlet Youth Athletic League. With the financial assistance of the Performance Nutrition division of Hazlet-based LidoChem, Inc., and Bridgewater, N.J.-based Natural Green Lawn Care, and community members, a work party reshaped, fertilized and seeded the field to create a safe, greenspace where community children can play.

The professional landscaping contractor and supplier volunteers’ donations-in-kind of their expertise, materials, and services to improve the playability and safety of 100,000 sq. ft. of playing surface, totals over $25,000 in value.

The field renovation improved the health and vigor of the grass, and created a safer playing surface for nearly 1,500 children in HYAL fall football and spring flag football leagues within the HYAL league and Hazlet Township community.

Neighbors of Vega Baja Community Garden
East Harlem, New York City

In October, Project EverGreen, with support from a Con Edison community service grant, teamed up with local landscape and nursery industry professionals and New York City Parks GreenThumb to begin the revitalization of a sustainable Neighbors of Vega Baja community garden in the heart of East Harlem.

The work took place over a two-day period with Artisan Gardens donating gravel lining and topsoil to fill large planter boxes in place, applying a truckload of mulch to the open garden center area, and planting new apple trees and 30 hydrangeas and fruit-bearing bushes supplied by Plant Detectives, Inc.

On May 20, the Neighbors of Vega Baja garden will receive the final spring planting of 350 additional vegetables, herbs, and ornamental flowering shrubs, donated by Plant Detectives, Inc. and installed by ConEd employee volunteers, with Artisan Gardens Landscape supervision. The entire donation was mobilized by Project EverGreen, partnering with NYC Parks Green Thumb, in community service to the Neighbors of Vega Baja residents, at no cost.

Altogether, the ConEd grant and professional landscaping materials and services donations for both the fall 2016, and May, 2017 garden installations totaled more than $15,000 in value, transforming a previously vacant pocket park into a new, sustainable fruit and vegetable garden and community park for The Neighbors of Vega Baja Association now, and in the future, that otherwise would not have been available.