LG&E and KU Foundation awards nearly 20 Plant for the Planet grants
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) — Nearly 20 different organizations — including cities, schools, and non-profits — are helping make the Bluegrass a little greener this year, thanks in-part to funding from LG&E and KU Foundation. The charitable arm of Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company awards funding for tree planting projects each year through its Plant for the Planet grant program.
The program awards matching grants in amounts of $500 to $5,000 to organizations with a history of successful tree plantings in the LG&E and KU service territories.
The latest grants were awarded to organizations across Kentucky, including Brightside Foundation, Campbellsville University, Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve, Friends of the Parks in Fayette County, Inc., Guthrie Opportunity Center Foundation Inc., Louisville Zoo Foundation, Masonic Homes of Kentucky, ReNewport Inc., Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill Kentucky Inc., Shelbyville Cemetery Co., Trees Louisville, Waterfront Development Corporation and the cities of Danville, Harrodsburg, Park Hills and Rolling Hills.
“When completed, the planting projects funded through our most recent awards will add more than 1,500 new trees to landscapes across Kentucky and bring the total number of trees funded by the program to more than 56,000 over the last 13 years,” said LG&E and KU Vice President of Communications and Corporate Responsibility Chris Whelan. “Support of our environment is among our company’s top priorities and continuing to expand our tree canopy through our grants and other efforts is an important part of that effort.”
Since the grant program’s launch in 2009, plantings have occurred in a range of urban and rural settings that offer public access, including parks and nature preserves. Many successful projects have also used unique approaches to incorporate trees within other landscape settings.
Applications for LG&E and KU’s Plant for the Planet grants are now accepted three times per year, through the utilities’ online grant portal. Applications are accepted in February, June, and October. Organizations that apply are eligible to receive one award per year under this grant. The Plant for the Planet program is modeled after the United Nations' Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign which promotes the planting of more than one billion trees annually by individuals, communities and businesses worldwide.
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Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve more than 1.3 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 333,000 natural gas and 429,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. KU serves 566,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.
