City of Rochester
News Release
(Friday, June 3, 2011) – The Flower City Kids program celebrated its 25th year with Flower City Kids Planting and Picnic Day today. More than 2,700 pre-k and elementary-aged city youth converged at Ontario Beach Park’s Flower City Kids Garden to plant flowers and vegetables they carefully cultivated in their classrooms this spring.
For 25 years, Flower City Kids have planted and cultivated a total of 200,000 plants. While 2,700 students participated in this year’s celebration at Ontario Beach Park, even more have been part of this year’s Flower City Kids program. Many students planted seedlings on their school grounds, at their homes or somewhere else in their neighborhood.
“Flower City Kids is a terrific example of how City staff and citizens work together to better our city,” said Mayor Thomas S. Richards. “As participating teachers, families and volunteers are helping to improve our neighborhoods, they’re also engaging with our students and getting them excited about learning.”
As part of the Flower City Kids Planting and Picnic Day, youth enjoyed a picnic lunch and a free ride on the historic Dentzel Carousel.
The Flower City Kids program is a partnership between the City of Rochester, Frontier Pioneers, Wegmans, the Rochester Landscape Technicians Programs, Rochester AmeriCorps and local public and private schools. Frontier Pioneers are retired Frontier Communications Corporation employees who help with the Flower City Kids program each year. For more information about the Frontier Pioneers, contact Susan McDougall, Frontier Pioneers Coordinator, at 244-0245.
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News Media: For more information, contact Michael Warren Thomas, City Horticulturalist at 703-9237.