Caomeron County Community Chest March Update

Cameron County Community Chest March Update

As of May 15th, we have collected $13,028.50 toward our $19,000 goal. Thanks to all who have contributed so far.

This month’s featured organization will be the Garden Club.

The Garden Club uses funds raised for their projects to beautify our community. The members of this club plant and take care of the flowers & shrubs at the Library, Veterans’ Memorial Park, Northwest Savings Bank, Citizens and Northern Bank and the containers in the Downtown area. They do the seasonal decorations inside the library. The Garden club helps with the plantings at Sinnemahoning State Park as well as taking care of the atrium at Guy & Mary Felt Manor. They club participates in the October Festival at Sizerville State Park and has a display at the Cameron County Fair. They also do litter pick up and recycling for a two-mile stretch of Rt.120W three times a year as part of the “Adopt-A-Highway” program. In 2010 they were asked to help with the plantings at the new visitor center at Sinnemahoning State Park. Two years ago, they were able to purchase and install a Blue Star Memorial Highway Marker at the Cameron County Veterans’ Park.

The theme this year for the Emporium Garden Club is: “The Art of Community Gardening”. The object of the club is to develop the knowledge and love of gardening for the mutual benefit of members and community.

The Club has many activities planned for 2020 but things are going to look a little different. We had to postpone our annual kick-off dinner due to the COVID virus and we hope to have our guest speaker from the Jefferson County Master Gardener program come later in the year. We are still proceeding with our annual plantings in downtown Emporium, the Library and the Vets’ Park in May when weather permits. The following meetings have been planned but may have to be modified as we see fit to comply with any virus issues. In June we will have our meeting with Jane Olson, Master Gardener, from Elk County discuss invasive plants and insects. July has us doing maintenance at our Library, the Vets’ Park and the school gardens with a picnic to follow.

August brings us to the Cameron County Fair where we will have a display and participate in the Jan Hampton Conservation Night with a craft for the children. In September we are planning a Harvest Dinner and seed and perennial exchange. We will have fellow garden club member share about hummingbirds at our regular meeting and we hope to participate in the Fall Festival at Sizerville State Park in October. We also hope to have Kristine Schuckers Finck come and bring along many varieties of her vegetables from her farm. This will be contingent on the weather and her harvest. In November we hope to have a workshop at the Library with the public entitled “Decorating with Books” for the holiday season. We will also be decorating the downtown areas with greens. To complete the year we plan to go back to Sarah Jane’s Art Studio for our Christmas Party. Please watch the local newspaper for our meeting dates, places and activities as they are subject to change. We have also received a large grant from the “Plant America” program to refurbish the gardens at the Elementary School but with the area unavailable at this time we are postponing that project. Hopefully we can start that in the fall with an amazing group of volunteers.