For the fifth year, the city of Fayetteville has been acknowledged in a nationwide competition that matches cities in size and population to promote beautification and environmental awareness.
Fayetteville won one of eight criteria honors – the Gardens Alive! Environmental Awareness Award – given out during the annual America in Bloom Symposium and Awards Program at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pa.
Cindi Cope accepts the AIB award
Communities that enter are evaluated for floral displays, heritage preservation, landscaped areas, community involvement, environmental effort, urban forestry, turf and ground covers and tidiness.
Twenty-five cities and towns participated in this year’s competition.
Judges from America in Bloom visited Fayetteville in June and toured the city’s trail system, the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks and other outdoor areas.
Cindi Cope, Chair of the Fayetteville in Bloom Program, represented Fayetteville at the Symposium and was honored as a nominee for the first annual John R. Holmes III award as a Community Champion.
Fayetteville in Bloom is a volunteer-driven organization that promotes sustainability, heritage preservation, urban forestry, community invovlement and beautification projects.
For more information on America in Bloom, visit americainbloom.org.
The Winners
Eight special awards were presented at the America in Bloom Symposium and Awards Program to communities that received high marks out of all contestants in all population categories. These include:
- Ball Horticultural Company Floral Displays Award – Greendale, Ind.
- Meister Media Worldwide Heritage Preservation Award – Rising Sun, Ind.
- Proven Winners Landscaped Areas Award – Collierville, Tenn.
- American Horticultural Society Community Involvement Award – Aurora, Ind.
- Gardens Alive! Environmental Awareness Award – Fayetteville, Ark.
- J Frank Schmidt & Son Company Urban Forestry Award – Milwaukee, Wis.
- Turf & Groundcover Areas Award – Michigan City, Ind.
- Tidiness Award – Arroyo Grande, Calif.
