Wheeler Avenue School's Garden Club keeps growing

The Valley Stream Lions Club presented a $5,000 grant to help fund the upcoming projects for the Garden Club at Wheeler Avenue School during the District 13 Board of Education meeting on Nov. 22.

“It’s a nice story that the Lions Club got involved and made a difference here,” said Guy Jacob, a retired fifth-grade teacher at Wheeler Avenue who still works with the Garden Club. “I’m appreciative and I know the kids and parents are appreciative too.”

Jacob was a teacher for 34 years and spent 29 of them at Wheeler Avenue. After Jacob’s retirement, Enrico Perciballi took over the program in September.

According to Jacob, the club has planted 32 trees in the courtyard, which he said stretches hundreds of feet. The school also recently installed a sprinkler system to help water the trees and plants on the grounds. With the help of the grant fund from the Lions Club, which is celebrating its 100th year, more projects are in the works.

“We were very, very happy to be able to do this,” said Lions Club President Janet Mahabir. “When this project was first introduced to us, it was something that addressed two of our centennial platforms, which is engaging the youth and protecting our environment.”

Jacob said the grant will go toward planting more trees and flowers in the courtyard and will also fund plastic picnic tables and benches throughout it. He added that the group also wants to install a fence with a 3-foot gate to close off the courtyard.

“The Lions Club has now pushed this project forward, which is great,” Jacob said.