A Win For The Bees! Planet Bee Foundation Receives Over $600,000 from The GIANT Company to Educate Students

USA - English

• USA - English

CARLISLE, Pa., August 2, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Rounding up at the register brings a buzz to Pennsylvania classrooms! The GIANT Company generously donates $631,530.47 from its Healing Our Planet Campaign to Planet Bee Foundation in support of their environmental STEM program centered around the powerful pollination of bees!

"From almonds to zucchini and countless fruits, vegetables and nuts in between, nearly one-third of our food supply depends on pollinators, making bees an essential part of our food supply chain and ecosystem," said Nicholas Bertram, president, The GIANT Company.

From March to May, customers of GIANT, Martin's and GIANT Heirloom Markets were given the opportunity to "round up" their purchase prices to the nearest dollar. An overwhelming number of customers chose to generously donate to the Healing Our Planet campaign in support of agricultural education and environmental stewardship programs like Planet Bee Foundation.

"At The GIANT Company, we're working hard every day to heal our planet, but we know we can't do it alone. Our customers clearly share our passion for sustainability and we're incredibly grateful for the more than $631,530.47 they donated to Planet Bee Foundation during our recent fundraising campaign," said Jessica Groves, manager of social impact, The GIANT Company. "Planet Bee is on a mission to change the world, one bee at a time, and we're excited to be on this journey with them as we work to create a green-minded generation by educating and empowering others to build long-lasting care of struggling bee populations."

Team members of The GIANT Company joined Debra Tomaszewski, and Danielle Klein, lead educator for Planet Bee, in the pollinator field at The GIANT Company on June 25th for the presentation of the check. Following the presentation, Planet Bee and volunteers from The GIANT Company were joined by members of the Carlisle, PA community for "Fresh Air Friday" festival, an initiative of The GIANT Company to bring families back outdoors.

"The support and generosity shown by customers of The GIANT Company is wonderful," said Debra Tomaszewski, Planet Bee Executive Director. "A donation of this magnitude enables us to reach a wider audience of learners and communities in Pennsylvania, creating an impact that will last for generations to come. Providing children with environmental awareness and a respect for bees from an early age is the surest path to creating the changes our planet needs to thrive. It is with great gratitude that we accept this donation from The GIANT Company. We are honored to partner with them on this vital journey to healing our planet."

Planet Bee environmental STEM lessons will be brought directly into classrooms as Planet Bee expands their program offerings across the state. "Planet Bee Foundation is an amazing partner to PA schools. Their curriculum resources and experienced lead teachers make infusing any classroom with environmental education and conservation a breeze!" as stated by Abbey Lictenburg, Educational Technology Staff Developer Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12.

Members of the local community have shown that equitable access to quality STEM education focused on the environmental impact of the bee is a priority it is willing to support. Funds from this incredible donation will go directly towards the continuation of Planet Bee's commitment to social justice through its key initiatives:

• Offering standards-based environmental STEM lessons to schools across Pennsylvania at no cost, bringing opportunities to under-resourced districts and reaching a broader audience of learners. Today's learners are tomorrow's leaders
• Translating Planet Bee's STEM program to Spanish, opening doors to a diverse community of learners. In our commitment to social justice, we recognize the importance of reaching all communities and breaking the barriers that language differences may bring
• Bringing free and equitable educational opportunities that focus on healing our planet to local community organizations, such as libraries, museums, recreation departments, urban gardens and more

Planet Bee has been a leading innovator of environmental STEM education since it began as a grassroots program created by co-founders Debra and Bill Tomaszewski in 2010. For 11 years they expanded upon their commitments to social justice and environmental stewardship through lessons centered around the bee. The Planet Bee team is dedicated to reaching learners from all backgrounds as they seek to grow a green-minded generation and instill in future generations with a foundation of environmental responsibility to our planet and food systems.

"Planet Bee is thrilled to welcome The GIANT Company to our hive as we embark on creating a greener tomorrow," said Debra Tomaszewski. "Working with a company that puts people and the planet first, provides a unique opportunity to bring communities together in support of the critical role bees play in maintaining sustainable food systems and our fragile environment."

In addition to the generous support of Planet Bee's educational programs, donations were also made to Rodale Institute and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

If you are interested in bringing Planet Bee's STEM program to your school district contact [email protected]

To learn more about Planet Bee programs and the latest buzz on bees, visit planetbee.org and follow Planet Bee Foundation @planet_bee on Instagram, @planetbeefoundation on Facebook, and @planet_bee on Twitter.

CONTACT: Debra Tomaszewski / [email protected] / (415)235-8959

ABOUT Planet Bee Foundation
Planet Bee Foundation is a 501(c)(3) environmental education nonprofit dedicated to creating a green-minded generation by spotlighting the struggling bee to foster environmental literacy and stewardship, empowering individuals to take action. They offer both virtual and in-person standards-based educational programs to schools, nonprofits, summer camps, environmental centers, and community gardens as well as corporate team-building programs.

Full multi-media assets from the check presentation and "Fresh Air Friday" with The GIANT Company can be found
here.

Media Contact

Danielle Klein, Planet Bee Foundation, +1 7174737920, [email protected]

SOURCE Planet Bee Foundation