BatesMeron has worked on the design and branding for the Chicago Flower & Garden Show for years. Through this process, we’ve been able to do beautiful things for an equally beautiful event, and it gives us a chance to get even more green ourselves, as inspired by the show’s 2014 and 2015 theme “Do Green. Do Good.”
In that spirit, I got the bug to do more myself after an inspirational talk with Tony Abruscato, president of the Chicago Flower & Garden Show, chairman of the Chicago Gateway Green Board of Directors and champion of all things growing and beautiful. I’m grateful to Tony for his timely referral to Chicago Gateway Green, as the organization happened to be recruiting for its Associate Board at the time.
Growing up in a military family, I’ve lived in nearly every region and experienced a variety of cities both large and small. Chicago has been my home for the last 10 years and is singular among them in a variety of ways, not the least of which is its cleanliness. While each neighborhood is different, this same sense of urban tidiness is brought to my attention each time a friend or family member visits the Windy City. This is a great point of pride in Chicago that I’ve taken as my own by joining Chicago Gateway Green (CGG).
Chicago Gateway Green is a unique organization driven by a commitment to making a positive environmental and aesthetic impact on Chicago. The organization does so primarily through urban beautification and greening projects throughout the city, including restoration, landscaping and litter removal on hundreds of acres of the city’s roads, parks and highways.
Ever since my conversation with Tony, I’ve had the honor of serving a great organization and helping make Chicago an even prettier, greener place to live. If you’re interested in helping make Chicago beautiful, please visit the Chicago Gateway Green website and sign up for any of the upcoming volunteer events and fundraisers. Or, you can contribute through the nonprofit’s Amazon Smile portal to help fundraise in a way we can all get behind: shopping!