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704-484-1047 www.shelbyinfo.com Our 35th Year • Issue No. 39 • September 27, 2018 "Sell your stuff....CarolinaClassifi eds.Com" FREE SHOWS WITH ADMISSION SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 7 SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 7 Discount tickets available til September 28 at participating locations. Boys & Girls Club kids learn joy of gardening Thanks to a new grant, participants in the gardening program at the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland County (BGCCC) are get- ting to see what gardening might be like in the future. "We recently received a new grant in the form of a Hydroponic Tower Garden so the kids can use science to grow food without soil – just like they might do in space!" says Joshua Propst, BGCCC executive director. Once fully assembled and functional, the hydroponic garden will allow the BGCCC to broaden its garden- ing program even more into the realm of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects. Students planted seeds and are now in the process of transferring the sprouted seedlings to the tower structure. "Along the way the kids will learn about nutrients necessary in the water, lighting from the fluorescent grow lights, growth cycles and more," says Propst. "We are very excited about our program and what we have been able to do so far." The BGCCC gardening pro- gram began in 2016 with a partnership with the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, which is located next door to the Club. The Boys & Girls Club needed a space to teach gardening skills as a part of healthy living, and the church members wanted the church's garden space to be better utilized. A "Lowes Heroes" grant, along with volunteers from the local Lowes store, helped get the ini- tial garden project started. Children and volunteers prepared garden beds and soil before planting donated plants. "After the first year of the garden we realized we needed more vol- unteers and more commitment and involvement from students," says Propst. "We made necessary adjust- ments to the pro- gram by adding two volunteers, Bambi Myers and Robert Thompson." Myers and Thompson committed to work directly with children two to three days per week to tend the garden. They created the "Green Thumb Club," recruiting additional children into the program and meeting twice per week for consistency. In 2017, the garden project was melded into a Walmart Foundation F.I.S.H. (Families Investing in Sustainable Health) grant, which helped with continued fund- ing. "The program had evolved beyond just learning about gardening into a healthy eating program," says Propst. "The gar- den became a source of vegetables and fruits for a meal program feeding about 80 children and families each week. We also incorporated the fruits and veg- etables from the garden into a program called 'Healthy Habits,' which promoted healthy eating and exercise. By doing this, we ensured that every club member was impacted in some way by the garden, not just those in the Green Thumb Club." For more information about the garden- ing club or any of the activities at the Boys & Girls Club, call (704) 476-8000, search for "Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland County" on Facebook or visit the organization's website at bgcclevelandcounty.org. Perris Ussery, Malachi Gist and Kannali Little fill the Hydroponic Tower Garden reservoir with water. Zion Woods, Alana Watson, Neveah Jameson and Guy Morris water some plants in the outdoor garden. Brayden Gullatte places his lettuce seedling in the Tower Garden. Perris Ussery and Kannali Little test the pH level of the water. Securities offered through Register Representative of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. A Broker/ Dealer. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. A registered Investment Advisor. Barbara Mull Investment Solutions, LLC and Cambridge are not affi liated. COMMITTED TO COMMITTED TO CLEVELAND COUNTY CLEVELAND COUNTY SINCE 2001 SINCE 2001 Barbara Mull Barbara Mull Registered Representative Registered Representative 329 N. Main Street 329 N. Main Street 704-313-7295 704-313-7295