Dec 19, 2018 08:00 am
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. --
With a commitment to supporting our communities and enhancing outdoor
environments, The Toro Company is pleased to announce the 2018 grant
recipients for its Greenspace Enhancement Grant Program. In
connection with the company’s Land.
Water. Thrive. global initiative, Toro is helping support
organizations in their efforts to revitalize parks and greenspaces, and
the outdoors of our neighborhoods and schools.
“We are so proud to support an array of impactful community projects
through the Greenspace Enhancement Grant Program,” said Judson McNeil,
president of The Toro Foundation. “The projects supported in Toro
communities across the world reflect the ongoing need to revitalize
outdoor environments in our own backyard.”
For 2018, the Greenspace Enhancement Grant Program awarded grants
to the following organizations in cities where The Toro Company has a
presence:
Beatrice, Nebraska
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City
of Beatrice ($5,000) – In 2007, Exmark Manufacturing, a
division of The Toro Company, celebrated its 25th
anniversary in Beatrice by donating and building a new playground for
Roszell/Exmark Park. To meet the needs of the community, this grant
will help provide additional shade trees and new landscaping for the
park.
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Diller-Odell
Public Schools ($20,000) – Servicing the Diller and Odell
communities in southern Gage and Jefferson counties, the school
district aims to provide high-quality facilities for its students and
is building a new gym to create additional space for music, play
production and speech programs. This grant will help provide new
landscaping around the new facility.
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Keep
Beatrice Beautiful ($40,400) – Located along the Union Pacific
railway route, which was built in 1879, the Chief
Standing Bear Trail today runs from Marysville, Kansas, to
Beatrice, and connects with the Homestead
Trail that runs 40 miles north to Lincoln. This grant, managed by
Keep Beatrice Beautiful, will reclaim areas of the trail that have
been neglected. Planting evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs and
seeding the area will help turn a neglected industrial area into a
part of the trail enjoyed by community and tourists alike.
Bloomington & Shakopee, Minnesota
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Camp
Fire Minnesota ($38,500) – With nature as a catalyst, Camp
Fire Minnesota energizes youth through nature-based experiences, and
is one of America's longest running youth development organizations.
With construction of a new Community and Dining Center at Tanadoona on
Lake Minnewashta, this grant will help with tree and shrub planting
surrounding the new building. Additionally, it will help in creating a
second camp garden where youth will plant, tend and harvest produce to
prepare healthy meals in the new Teaching Kitchen.
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Minnesota
Landscape Arboretum ($40,000) – Home to 1,200 acres of
gardens, plant, tree collections, and natural areas, the Minnesota
Landscape Arboretum is building a new regional trail to provide an
off-road alternative for people to travel for recreational purposes.
This grant will support beautification of the landscape along portions
of the trail that traverse the Arboretum’s property including
installing turf, shrubs, trees and plants that are environmentally
sound, sustainable, and support songbirds and pollinators.
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The
Loppet Foundation ($21,500) – With a shared mission of
creating a year-round outdoor activity for underserved youth and
families in the Minneapolis area, The Loppet Foundation and the
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board recently opened a new Trailhead
Building in Theodore Wirth Regional Park. This grant will help support
the installation of a new garden and greenspace, as well as the
removal of invasive species in the area.
Iron Mountain, Michigan
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Habitat
for Humanity Menominee River ($20,000) – Serving families in
need by building and renovating homes, and improving neighborhoods,
this project will bring together local civic groups and volunteers to
transform the Stanton Street Tot Lot in Iron Mountain. Aging tennis
courts will be replaced by pickle ball courts, in addition to
installing new playground equipment and improving the greenspace with
new landscaping that will help enhance the park experience.
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Lake
Antoine Park, Dickinson County ($40,000) – One of the
oldest and most frequented parks in Dickinson County, Lake Antoine
Park covers 48 acres just outside Iron Mountain. This grant will help
to revitalize the park in a number of areas, including stump removal,
reseeding open greenspaces, planting native shoreline shrubs, and
regrading and cleaning up the beach area.
Windom, Minnesota
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Business,
Arts and Recreation Center ($35,000) – In partnership with
several local, regional and state organizations in Minnesota, this
grant will help in efforts to develop and expand sustainable public
greenspaces in Windom. This includes the construction of rain gardens
and earth berm in Tegels Park, improving the landscaping surrounding
the Business, Arts and Recreation Center, and planting trees along the
Des Moines River in Island Park.
Xiamen City, China
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Green Waterkeeper Environmental Center ($10,000) – Focusing on
the protection of water resources, the Green Waterkeeper Environmental
Center carries out activities associated with the Jiulong River and
Xiamen streams. This grant will help support water quality testing,
and educating the community on nature and the ecology of the river
with the ultimate goal of increasing environmental awareness.
Launched in early 2018, the Land. Water. Thrive. initiative aims
to help improve water use efficiency, enhance outdoor environments and
greenspaces, and educate on sustainable agricultural practices. Over a
two-year period, The Toro Foundation is contributing up to $1 million in
grants to nonprofits in our global communities with the Greenspace
Enhancement Grant Program.
For 2019, The Toro Company will be accepting grant applications from the
following cities worldwide. The application process will open in May
2019, and more information on grant criteria can be found at on www.toro.com.
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Abilene, Texas
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Adelaide, Australia
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Ankeny, Iowa
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Althengstett, Germany
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Brisbane, Australia
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El Cajon, California
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El Paso, Texas
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Fiano Romano, Italy
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Juarez, Mexico
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Melbourne, Australia
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Oevel, Belgium
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Perth, Australia
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Ploiesti, Romania
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Plymouth, Wisconsin
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Riverside, California
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Sanford, Florida
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Spellbrook, United Kingdom
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Sydney, Australia
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Tomah, Wisconsin
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Ustron, Poland
About The Toro Company
The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC) is a
leading worldwide provider of innovative solutions for the outdoor
environment including turf maintenance, snow and ice management,
landscape, rental and specialty construction equipment, and irrigation
and outdoor lighting solutions. With sales of $2.6 billion in fiscal
2018, Toro’s global presence extends to more than 125 countries. Through
constant innovation and caring relationships built on trust and
integrity, Toro and its family of brands have built a legacy of
excellence by helping customers care for golf courses, sports fields,
public green spaces, commercial and residential properties and
agricultural operations. For more information, visit www.toro.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181219005083/en/
Judson McNeil
Toro Foundation
952-887-8870
[email protected]
Branden Happel
Public Relations
952-887-8930
[email protected]