Incline Village Wins America in Bloom Award

Oct 8, 2008

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Incline Village Wins America in Bloom Award

Incline Village, NV- America in Bloom awarded the Incline Village General Improvement District with the American Horticultural Society sponsored the “AIB Community Involvement Award” at the 7^th annual America in Bloom Symposium and Awards Program in Columbus, Ohio on October 2, 2008.

AIB is a national contest that promotes enhancing communities through beautification. Out of 30 other communities, IVGID won one of the eight criteria awards! In summer 2008, judges from AIB went to each community and evaluated them based on efforts related to floral displays, urban forestry, landscaped areas, turf and groundcover, tidiness, environmental awareness, heritage conservation, and community involvement. When the judges from AIB were here, IVGID Parks Superintendent Steven Phillips showed them the highlights of our community- the Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation and Collaboration, Pet Network, Incline Village Parks and Facilities, Beaches, the two Golf Courses, Diamond Peak Ski Resort, Sierra Nevada College, Public Works, North Lake Tahoe Demonstration Garden, Urban Forestry and the Fire District’s Third Creek Fuels Reduction Project, and more.   Special events and issues such as Red White & Tahoe Blue, Xstream Clean, Bear Awareness, and the District’s tremendous environmental and recycling efforts were also emphasized. The volunteer hours for non-profits, service groups and organizations in the community were also highlighted. According to Steven Phillips, “America in Bloom is a great way to grow the community through involvement, evaluate the community’s efforts as a whole, and establish new ideas to improve and enhance the community”.

“Through the participation of America in Bloom we are able to gain insight in how other communities use volunteers and resources to enhance their communities,” said Phillips.

According to the AIB website, “Incline Village sets the standard for community involvement. In fact, the judges have recommended that they develop a book on their principles and implementation of collaboration between service groups. The centerpiece of their remarkable effort is the Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation and Collaboration, which provides office, storage, and meeting space to local nonprofits, then supplements that with mentoring and networking opportunities, as well as resources for grant writing. The result is that volunteers, non-profits, and service groups are all aware of needs in four vital areas: arts, education, environment, and social services. It is typical for several groups to partner and collaborate on projects, a win-win for all of them and for the causes they serve. It is a model that deserves recognition and should be repeated in every town in America.”

This is the second year that IVGID has participated in the AIB program, and is proud to have received this award. The Incline Village General Improvement District is located at 893 Southwood Blvd. in Incline Village, Nevada. For more information regarding this release, please contact (775) 832-1100. Volunteers wishing to participate on the “America in Bloom” committee should contact Parks Superintendent Steven Phillips at 832-1228.

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