HERNDON, Va., November 3, 2008 — The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) announced a new volunteer initiative called PLANET Day of Service at the general session of the Green Industry Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, on October 23, 2008.
PLANET President Jason Cupp, CLP, told a packed audience that PLANET would, “build on the success of ‘Renewal & Remembrance’ by creating a national service day that will take place on Earth Day, April 22, 2009.”
Incoming PLANET President Bill Hildebolt, Ph.D., CTP, CTP-CSL, was the first person to signup. “Our company does a number of pro bono projects throughout the year,” he said. “This will be a great way to focus them on one day and know that other companies will be doing the same thing that day across the nation.”
The annual day of service will allow PLANET members, state associations, supplier members, and other PLANET partners to create volunteer landscape, lawn care, lighting, or tree projects that benefit their own communities.
PLANET has created a Web site, planetdayofservice.org, which will be a one-stop shop for conceiving, registering, planning, and carrying out a service project. Currently, people can log on to the site for basic information and to register an event. The full Web site is expected to be up and running by December 2008.
The Web site will contain ideas about types of projects that can be initiated and will offer tips about how to organize, promote, and carry out the project. A list of registered projects will also be available on the site so people can volunteer for another project if they can’t organize their own.
“The idea behind the grassroots organization of the PLANET Day of Service is to make it as easy as possible for every PLANET member or partner to participate,” said Richard Heller, CLP, CLT, chairman of the public relations committee. “We are offering people a simple toolkit and registration process so they can plan the best project for them based on the needs in their own community.”
For more information about the PLANET Day of Service, contact Heather Finney at the Professional Landcare Network office by calling (800) 395-2522, or visit the Professional Landcare Network Web site, LandcareNetwork.org.
