Green thumbs are spreading with the philanthropic spirit in Central Saanich.
Donors who wish to remain anonymous promise to match donations of up to $2,000 to the recently approved Central Saanich community garden between Feb. 1 and 21 as the organization continues its fundraising campaign.
Sander Eijgenraam, president of the Central Saanich Community Garden Society, said the society hopes to reach $5,000 for the community garden located on Clarke Road, as part of its fundraiser launched on Jan. 20. The donors themselves have already given the society a guarantee for $5,000, he added.
All donations will go toward getting the community garden up and running.
“The big ticket items are fencing, lumber and soil, which are the basic necessities to be able to do the garden, to make sure deer and other animals won’t eat what we are trying to grow,” he said.
Once the society has secured those three items, it hopes to construct the garden during the last two weeks of March to minimize the impact on the neighbourhood, he said.
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Eijgenraam said the group is also eyeing other items. “So we are talking about a shed, we are talking about tools, simple gardening tools, we are looking to do a little of irrigation,” he said.
Eijgenraam said individuals can donate money online, adding that the society is also reaching out to the community through its website and social media. “And we started talking to some local businesses, to see if they are interested in supporting us,” he said, adding the society is also hoping for physical donations of smaller items such as tools from individuals.
The society hopes to have the garden up and running with approximately 20 plots by early April. Eijgenraam said the society’s waiting list currently includes approximately 25 names.
Central Saanich council gave the project final approval in the fall of 2021.
Donations can be made at gofund.me/e17a8460.
wolfgang.depner@peninsulanewsreview.com
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