Big Brothers Big Sisters, Lowes team up for planting project

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri staff, along with the "littles" who miss seeing their "bigs" during the summer, and Lowes employees of Cape Girardeau landscaped the Common Pleas Courthouse gazebo flower beds Friday. The project also celebrated a new partnership between the oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in Missouri and Lowes' HEROES employee volunteer program.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri matches children ages 5 to 17 with mentors in professionally supported one-to-one relationships in a variety of programs designed to meet the needs of volunteers and teens.

Lowes human resources manager Tom Young said the Heroes employee volunteer program has been helping with senior citizen projects for the last couple of years and this project represented a new category. The $1,200 product donation was enhanced with planning and preparation by Lowes and Big Brothers Big Sisters staff working at the gazebo before Friday's planting. Together they pulled up grass that was taking over the area and lined the area with weed barrier.

Kristin Pender, Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based program manager, said, "They have been there every step of the way, from planning the design for the area to preparing the site for planting and helping youth understand how to take care of plants."

Demonstrations like removing plants from containers and digging holes promoted success for "littles," some planting for the first time. Special attention around the memorials in the flower beds included highlighting them with red, white and blue plants. Placing the tall growing shrubs at pillars along the gazebo's perimeter were details Lowe's staff suggested.

"These activities are really important to the 'littles' who really miss seeing their 'bigs' in the summer," said Ashley Barnett, Big Brothers Big Sisters program director. "This project is really great because everyone will be able to come by and say 'I did that.'"

Future dates to maintain the garden are being planned.

Old Town Cape executive director Marla Mills said, "Old Town Cape is pleased that Big Brothers Big Sisters chose a project in our district. The beautification of the area around the gazebo is great and something that will be enjoyed at many Old Town Cape events. But we are also excited just to be a place where the 'bigs' and 'littles' can come together and to be a part of fulfilling the mission of such a great organization like Big Brothers Big Sisters."

The Big Brothers Big Sisters Cape Girardeau office, 1028 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau has been open since August 2000. It has matched 600 teens in Cape Girardeau County and Scott City with caring mentors. For more information, call 339-0184 or visit www.bbbsemo.org.