Evergreen, Universal Music & Raffi introduce “Let's Play, Canada!” Evergreen Grant
To celebrate Raffi’s latest album, “Let's Play,” his 25-year career, and his dedication to children and the Earth, Evergreen is pleased to announce a new grant co-sponsored by Troubadour Music and Universal Music.
Goal is to Create Natural Play Environments for Preschool and Primary Age Children
September 19, 2002 — To celebrate Raffi's latest album, “Let’s Play”, his 25-year career, and his dedication to children and the Earth, Evergreen is pleased to announce a new grant co-sponsored by Troubadour Music and Universal Music. This Evergreen grant is specially geared to help create healthful, more natural play environments for preschool and primary age children. All public and not-for-profit schools and childcare centres in Canada serving preschool to Grade 3 are invited to participate.
“Play is the thing,” said Raffi, children’s troubadour and President of Troubadour Music. “On healthy playgrounds, children have the best chance to play and learn about their world.”
Twenty-five grants of $1000 each will support the purchase of native
species of shade trees, shrubs and vines; heritage vegetable and annual seeds,
child-sized hand tools and select materials for seating, play and container
gardens. All grant applications must incorporate natural settings, meet CSA
safety standards, not use pressure-treated wood and be pesticide free. The
deadline for applications is November 25, 2002. Click here for an application
form (PDF, 350kb).
“Children spend an average of 25 per cent of the school day outdoors, yet school grounds are seldom designed to promote learning or even simple enjoyment of the environment,” said Geoff Cape, Executive Director of Evergreen. “By replacing concrete and asphalt with native trees, shrubs and wildflowers, meadows or ponds, vegetable or butterfly gardens, Evergreen Learning Grounds provides children with close-up, hands-on opportunities to experience and learn about the environment.”
Universal has distributed Raffi’s incomparable catalogue of children’s music since 1990. Proud of their relationship with Raffi and his quality recordings, and eager to support his efforts to improve the lives of children and the environment in which they grow, this grant marks the record company’s first partnership with Evergreen.
Randy Lennox, President and CEO of Universal Music comments: “As Raffi’s label partners, we’ve always admired his energy and attention with many of the world’s issues. This is a wonderful project that will be enjoyed by many young children in Canada.”
Evergreen is a registered national charity founded in 1991. They are a national non-profit environmental organization with a mandate to bring nature to our cities through naturalization projects. Evergreen motivates people to create and sustain healthy, natural outdoor spaces and gives them the practical tools to be successful through its three core programs:
- Learning Grounds — transforming school grounds
- Common Grounds — conserving publicly accessible land
- Home Grounds — for the home landscape