Chillicothe’s First Capital District continues to seek donations to help line the streets of downtown Chillicothe with flowers throughout the summer season.
Beth Neal is Chair for the committee leading the Chillicothe Blooms effort. She says a small donation of five or ten dollars can go a long way.
"With flowers you can donate five or ten dollars and really make an impact. We've had a lot of interest in this; people loved the flowers last year so we want everyone to have an opportunity to be a part of this so that when they drive downtown and see those beautiful flowers, they can say... I helped with that," said Neal.
The First Capital District plans to have the flowers, which are cultivated and maintained by volunteers, out by the second weekend in May where they'll remain until early October. Neal says they're also looking to expand the program this year.
"One of the things that we plan to do this year to make a bigger splash is to collect all the urns on the corners of the main streets so that not only will you have the baskets that are a little above eye level, but when you come and drive through the streets you'll be greeted with this glorious overflowing bunch of flowers that are colorful and beautiful," said Neal.
Last year's Chillicothe Blooms effort was also contributed to by downtown shop owners who put out their own flowers to add to the landscape. Neal hopes that trend will continue this summer.
"Everybody can donate to this and feel a sense of pride when they see the flowers. We don't want this to just be a town that people can walk through and say "Oh, that's pretty." We want people to have a sense of pride and ownership, and really feel good about the place they live," said Neal.
If you'd like to make a tax-deductible donation to Chillicothe Blooms, checks can be dropped off or mailed to the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce at 45 E. Main St. in Chillicothe.