The little girls at SCO’s Jerome Hardeman Early Childhood Education Center in East Elmhurst had a special guest attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at their new educational garden.
Photo by Paul Frangipane
As 16 little girls filed into their new garden at SCO’s Jerome Hardeman Early Childhood Education Center in East Elmhurst, they likely had no idea that the mild-mannered gentleman who presided over their ribbon-cutting ceremony helped author one of the great stories in New York City history.
Former New York Ranger Adam Graves, one of the greatest stars on the 1994 Stanley Cup champion team, made his way out from Manhattan on Sept. 12 to represent the Garden of Dreams Foundation at the new educational garden that transformed an unused outdoor area into a green space to benefit the children who attend the center and enhance the community. The project is part of a larger STEM educational gardening initiative at SCO’s five early childhood centers in Queens and Brooklyn funded by the Garden of Dreams Foundation.
“I’d like to congratulate the kids here on what a wonderful job they’ve done working on these gardens, and like gardens, they are going to grow as well,” Graves said. “It’s an honor for us with the Garden of Dreams Foundation to be able to officially open this garden as well as four other local projects to help put smiles on kid’s faces.”
State Senator Jessica Ramos joined Graves and the girls as well as officials from SCO for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“Every child deserves a place where they can follow their curiosity and learn about the world around them and every parent deserves the piece of mind that comes with having a nurturing learning environment for their children,” Ramos said. “I’m here not only as an elected official and a mom, but honestly as someone who really wants to see universal childcare happen. That’s been at the forefront of my work in the state senate.”
Ramos added that she always wonders why…
Read the full article here
