Lowe’s Partners with Alaska Fertilizer and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to Raise Funds for Educational Garden Grants

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WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In early 2017, eleven K-12 public and charter schools throughout the U.S. were selected to receive educational garden grants through a partnership between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Alaska Fertilizer’s parent company, Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) (NASDAQ: CENTA). During the month of May, 5% of Alaska Brand Fertilizer purchases at Lowe’s stores nationwide will be donated to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to fund the grant program, providing ongoing opportunities for future student science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning that positively affects children and their communities.

“We are grateful to Lowe’s for their support of the Educational Garden Grant program,” said Brian Thille, Senior Director of Marketing, Central Garden & Pet, “Inspiring future gardeners with hands-on experience growing bird habitats and garden fresh foods, and providing teachers with a supporting STEM curriculum is what this program is all about. These programs are vitally important, as students that engage in school gardening are likely to experience academic, physical, emotional, social, and even behavioral benefits.”

The garden grant program was started in 2015 to provide deserving school districts, most in underserved urban markets, opportunities to engage in science-based, hands-on, outdoor learning experiences. Research shows that students who participate in a garden-based science curriculum, in addition to traditional classroom learning, score significantly higher on science achievement tests than students in a traditional classroom-based control group. This garden-enhanced achievement benefits both boys and girls equally.

In 2017, 11 schools were selected as garden grant recipients. These schools include:

  • Woodland Heights Elementary, Mooresville, NC
  • The Palmetto School, Rock Hill, SC
  • The Intermediate Unit 1 Education Campus at East Franklin, Waynesburg, PA
  • Ashland Public School, Ashland, MT
  • Schumacher Community Learning Center, Akron, OH
  • Broadway Academy, Elmira, NY
  • The Community Group, Lawrence, MA
  • Southside Academy Charter School, Syracuse, NY
  • Native American Community Academy, Albuquerque, NM
  • Concord School, Concord, VT
  • Edison Middle School, Houston, TX

Lowe’s carries a broad assortment of Alaska Brand Fertilizer products. The product line includes organic and natural-based plant fertilizers for delicious fruits and vegetables and vibrant flowers.

The Lowe’s program begins May 1 and continues through May 31. To learn more about the garden grant program, please visit www.pennington.com/community.

About Lowe’s

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 17 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2016 sales of $65.0 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,375 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 290,000 people. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. For more information, visit Lowes.com

About Central Garden & Pet

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) (NASDAQ: CENTA) is a leading innovator, marketer and producer of quality branded products for the lawn & garden and pet supplies markets. Committed to new product innovation, our products are sold to specialty independent and mass retailers. Participating categories in Lawn & Garden include: Grass seed and the brands PENNINGTON®, and THE REBELS®; wild bird feed and the brand PENNINGTON®; weed and insect control and the brands AMDRO®, SEVIN®, IRONITE® and OVER-N-OUT®; and decorative outdoor patio products under the PENNINGTON® brand. We also provide a host of other regional and application-specific garden brands and supplies. Participating categories in Pet include: Animal health and the brands ADAMS™ and ZODIAC®; aquatics and reptile and the brands AQUEON®, CORALIFE® and ZILLA®; bird & small animal and the brands KAYTEE®, Forti-Diet® and CRITTER TRAIL®; dog & cat and the brands TFH™, NYLABONE®, FOUR PAWS®, IMS™, CADET®, DMC™, SEGREST, PINNACLE® and AVODERM®; and equine and the brands FARNAM®, HORSE HEALTH™ and VITAFLEX®. We also provide a host of other application-specific pet brands and supplies. Central Garden & Pet Company is based in Walnut Creek, California, and has approximately 4,100 employees, primarily in North America. For additional information on Central Garden & Pet Company, including access to the Company's SEC filings, please visit the Company’s website at www.central.com

About Cornell University Lab

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a world leader in the study, appreciation, and conservation of birds. Our hallmarks are scientific excellence and technological innovation to advance the understanding of nature and to engage people of all ages in learning about birds and protecting the planet. Founded in 1915, the Cornell Lab is a nonprofit organization supported by 98,000 friends and members. Our vibrant community includes 200,000 citizen-science participants from all walks of life and 14 million bird enthusiasts of all ages who connect with us online at All About Birds.

As a proud unit of Cornell University we have seven faculty on staff and access to world-class resources. As a nonprofit environmental organization, however, we depend on members, donors, research, and our other programs for 99 percent of our operating budget. Your support will result in direct impacts and improvements for conservation science. To learn more, visit http://www.birds.cornell.edu/.

Central Garden & Pet
Mark Newberg, 847-330-5367
mnewberg@central.com

Source: Central Garden & Pet

Released May 2, 2017