A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held May 11 to celebrate the opening of the new garden at the Cottage Pavilion residential care home in Abbotsford.
The project was initiated in the spring of 2015 by Mike Adkins, president of the Rotary Club of Abbotsford-Sumas.
Adkins’ aunt, Sheila Green, was a resident at the Cottage Pavilion for about two years before her passing on Dec. 5, 2015.
During regular visits, Adkins witnessed the love, compassion and care that the staff provided for the residents, including his late aunt.
In the spring/summer of 2015, Adkins made a promise to his aunt – who had been a florist in her earlier years – and to the staff and residents that the mess in the gardens at the Cottage Pavillion would be revitalized for all to enjoy.
He presented the garden project idea to his Rotary Club, and the club members fully supported the idea.
After hearing the story, two non-Rotarians – Coun. Brenda Falk and Karen Funk – took on the leadership role alongside Steve Gill, the club’s director of service/projects.
Falk and Funk spent hours designing, planning and organizing the project, and the physical work took place from April 27 to 30.
Other partners who provided in-kind, or at-cost, materials and equipment were: Tanglebank Gardens, Cannor Nursery, Eze Equipment Rentals (Aldergrove), Tek Trucking, Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation and Starbucks.