Buffalo, NY - For the second year in a row, the Buffalo Bills Youth Foundation will fund a portion of the Plant Pals program at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens with a grant of $2,500. This grant will provide 220 second graders in the Buffalo Public Schools with a unique field trip to the Botanical Gardens to experience hands-on lessons about the plants we eat and good nutritional practices.
“The Buffalo Bills are proud to support the youth in the Western New York community and assist in providing them with opportunities to become better educated and more physically fit through our 2013 Youth Foundation’s grant program,” said Ralph Wilson, Jr., Bills Owner.”
Created in 2011 with a grant from the Margaret Whitehead Foundation, Plant Pals is aligned to the New York State Standards for Science and provides lessons for second graders in the Buffalo Public Schools at no cost. These students experience lessons on vegetables, fruits and grains and start to build an understanding of the plants we eat and the biology behind those plants. Additionally, students gain knowledge of proper nutritional practices and an appreciation for how plants are essential for our physical and mental well-being. Plant Pals also addresses the epidemic of childhood obesity by providing students with the opportunity to learn about proper nutrition through a hands-on educational experience.
Schools play a critical role in helping to encourage healthy behaviors and Plant Pals program introduces second graders to plant life, and paves the way for the Project Empower program at the Botanical Gardens, targeted to third graders in the Buffalo Public Schools. The ultimate goal is to prepare students for fourth grade science lessons that lead up to the New York State Science Assessment Test.
Established in 1986 by the Buffalo Bills, the Buffalo Bills Youth Foundation (BBYF) is a not-for-profit organization that primarily supports charitable organizations that emphasize improving the quality of life for youth in Western New York. Nearly 200 thousand dollars in grants were awarded in 2013, and over three million dollars in grants have been awarded since the BBYF’s inception. For more information on the Buffalo Bills Youth Foundation or the Bills in the Community, please visit buffalobills.com or call 716-648-1800.
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens Society, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing appreciation for and knowledge of plant life and its connection to people and cultures through its documented living plant collection, historic conservatory, education, research and exhibits.
###