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A South Park Community Garden planter and archway was dedicated to Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s former First Lady Nancy Evans in a short ceremony, Wed., May 8, at 2:30 p.m.

Evans, who passed away in June 2018, deemed the South Park area a “food desert” and worked with others to start the garden to increase the accessibility of fruits and vegetables to the community as well as provide education on nutrition and food preparation, opportunities for fellowship and to establish a sustainable local food system.

“It’s only fitting that we would honor our former First Lady, Nancy Evans with the dedication in the South Park Community Garden, said Norman Bellard, Â鶹ÊÓƵ assistant to the president for community relations and chair of the Greater South Park Neighborhoods Partnership. “Nancy exhibited a great passion for gardening, a genuine love of community and a continuous pursuit to uplift people. Today we salute a wonderful, delightful lady.”

The garden, created in 2016 and located on the northwest corner of Jimmy Simmons Boulevard and Vermont Street, Beaumont, is a project of the Greater South Park Community Partnership, an organization of civic, business, education, social and spiritual leaders of the greater South Park neighborhoods, as well as city officials and elected representatives to revitalize south Park neighborhoods

Volunteers, Â鶹ÊÓƵ students and community members maintain the 25-bed garden, and vegetables are donated to the Southeast Texas Food Bank, Some Other Place and to those working the garden.

“This garden is a wonderful display of growth and commitment nestled here between our campus and the South Park neighborhood,” said Ken Evans, president of Â鶹ÊÓƵ.

Community members are invited to adopt beds and grow their own fresh vegetables or help grow food to be donated.  For more information about the garden, please call 880-8612.