Cha-ching! (11-22)

Many garden centers embrace benevolent causes. One, Wheatfield Nursery, recently was honored for doing so.

Proven Winners' Invincibelle Spirit Campaign recently recognized the Centre Hall, Pa., retail operation with “The Most Creative Event in 2011” for its lumberjack-themed fundraiser to raise money for breast cancer research. Wheatfield Nursery hosted its “Pink Day,” a unique in-store fundraiser, this past summer as part of the Invincibelle Spirit Campaign to raise $1 million for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

“What made this Pink Day so amazing was its lumberjack theme, complete with competitive demonstrations by the Pennsylvania Professional Lumberjack Association,” said Stacey Hirvela, a marketing specialist and an organizer with the Invincibelle Spirit Campaign. “We’ve helped plan several hundred local Pink Days over the last two years, across the U.S. and Canada. And Wheatfield Nursery’s was one of the most exciting and creative we’ve seen yet.”

Melissa Berrier, promotional manager with Wheatfield Nursery, was the organizer behind the Pink Day.  Berrier, who is also a professional lumberjack, attributed the success of the event to partnerships with organizations like the Pennsylvania Professional Lumberjack Association.
 
“We were extremely pleased with the turnout for our first Pink Day,” said Berrier. “We are thankful for the support of Nittany Shop with Heart, the Centre County Dairy Promotion, Comcast and all of our other vendors, partners, employees and especially our customers.”

In addition to the lumberjack demonstrations, the event also featured face painting, live music, a gift basket raffle and free ice cream.

The event was win/win/win all the way. The charity certainly won. Ditto, the garden center. And the customers who attended got to see a garden center with a heart -- and one that shares its "Cha-ching!" in a very special way.

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