LBI Garden Club wins prizes

Award-winning garden club receives recognition for community serviceAward-winning garden club receives recognition for community service The Garden Club of Long Beach Island was recognized with five prestigious awards in 2023 for its exceptional charitable initiatives. Awards from the State Garden Club of New Jersey * Award for Outstanding Project or Program: Holiday Tour of Homes * Violet M. Bennett Environmental Trophy: Youth Garden Club Central Atlantic Region State Garden Club Awards * Overall winner, National Garden Club Standard Flower Show Award for the flower show “It’s a Musical World” * First place in the Yearbook Award: Janice Stonaker National Garden Club Award * Certificate of Recognition: Social Media/Website Department for Diane Macrides Award-winning initiatives The Holiday Tour of Homes, chaired by Bev Reitinger, showcased Long Beach Island’s extraordinary homes and raised funds for the club’s many community projects. The Youth Garden Club, led by Jeannette Michelson and Ginny Scarlatelli, provides children with a hands-on learning experience, fostering their interest in gardening and environmental conservation. The Standard Flower Show, co-chaired by Julie Eller and Cindy McGrath, is a creative and competitive event that showcases the gardening skills of club members. The yearbook, carefully compiled by Janice Stonaker, is a valuable resource for club members, highlighting events and encouraging member involvement. Diane Macrides’ dedication to maintaining the club’s online presence earned them recognition for their social media and website, which effectively connect with the community and share the club’s activities. “It is an honor to be recognized for all we do in the community,” said Gillian Rozicer, the club’s publicity director. “Every club member plays an important role and these awards are a testament to our collective efforts to make a difference.”

PROUD AWARD WINNERS: The award winners are (left to right) Lois Perry, club president; Diane Macrides, website/social media director; and Barbara Duff, awards director.

The Garden Club of Long Beach Island recently received five awards for its community service in 2023: two from the Garden Club of New Jersey, two more from the Central Atlantic Region of State Garden Clubs, and another award from the National Garden Club.

The Holiday Tour of Homes received an award from the Garden Club of New Jersey for an outstanding project or program.

“This recognition by the Garden Club for LBI’s largest fundraiser is very special because every club member participates,” said Gillian Rozicer, the club’s publicity director. “Bev Reitinger chaired the event.”

The Youth Garden Club, led by Jeannette Michelson and Ginny Scarlatelli, received the Violet M. Bennett Environmental Trophy for outstanding youth programs. The program provides children with a fun extracurricular activity where they learn basic gardening and floral design skills and the role that planting native species plays in preserving the local ecosystem.

In addition to these state awards, the club was named the “Overall Winner” of the “National Garden Club Standard Flower Show Award” by the Central Atlantic Region of State Garden Clubs. The show, titled “It’s a Musical World,” will be held at the LBI Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in May 2023. Co-chairs Julie Eller and Cindy McGrath were congratulated for qualifying the Standard Flower Show at the regional level.

Janice Stonaker also took first place in the Central Atlantic Region of State Garden Club’s Yearbook Award category. The yearbook, provided to every member of the Garden Club of LBI, was described as an easy-to-use resource that “encourages participation and involvement.”

The National Garden Club presented the group with a Certificate of Recognition in the area of ​​Social Media/Website. President Diane Macrides received the award for her creativity and daily maintenance of the club’s website, Facebook and Instagram pages.

“It’s great to be recognized for everything we do in the community,” Rozicer said. —EE