Tonya Riddick

SmileUp! Ambassador Phillip Thomas gets experience playing in the dirt.

Volunteers Needed for Garden Project

BY TONYA RIDDICK

There is no better way to give back than to do so by beautifying your community. The SmileUp! Charitable Foundation is using its young volunteer base to redesign and maintain the G. Cecil Pruett Community Center Family YMCA Garden, and are looking for local garden enthusiasts, young and old, to flex their green thumbs.

This is a great opportunity for adults to use their passion for gardening to guide our young volunteers, helping them transform the G. Cecil Pruett YMCA grounds into a SmileUp! Rock, Container and Herb Garden, in conjunction with local community organizations and businesses. This also is a wonderful way to get your children involved in volunteerism, by introducing them to SmileUp! and all we do to make an impact in this world. • Through Feb. 26: Mural Design Challenge.

Volunteers will submit artwork for a garden mural, where the winning design will be permanently installed at the new SmileUp! Happy Garden. • March 5: Garden Cleanup. Help clean up to prepare for the new garden. • March 12: Garden Beautification. Gardeners, young and old, will assemble the rock, herb and container gardens. • March 26: Painting Day. Paint garden murals and rocks for the rock garden.

At SmileUp!, we envision a world where young people are leading the charge in volunteerism, and that starts with YOU! Visit our website, and follow us on social media today!

To help or learn more about how you can sponsor this event with gardening materials, email info@ smileupfoundation.org. All sponsorships valued at $250-plus will have name/business displayed as part of permanent garden installment.

Tonya Riddick is executive director of SmileUp! Charitable Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. www.smileupfoundation.org.