By Gerald Boot, LO president
With the arrival of the month of September came a hot bed of activity on the LO scene. It all began with the exciting news that our executive director, Tony DiGiovanni, would turn 50 on September 5. Given Tony’s unwavering dedication to the industry, and to our members, the Landscape Ontario Board of Directors unanimously decided to create a scholarship in his name.
It’s no doubt that Landscape Ontario is a great association – the largest horticultural trade association in North America, and Tony is the Number One reason why LO is so great. This is the reason why so many people jumped on the bandwagon to raise funds for the new scholarships. The Board of Directors personally called a portion of the membership, and by September 3, Tony’s surprise birthday party, a total of $80,000 had been raised.
The creation of the Tony DiGiovanni Horticulture Scholarship is fitting, especially because of the numerous contributions Tony has made over his tenure, and his unwavering promotion of the industry to students thinking of a career in horticulture. The scholarship will be set up within the Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation, and which can continue to be contributed to on an ongoing basis. The scholarships will be paid out only on the interest of the fund.
If you were missed in the initial fundraising campaign, there is still time to participate. It’s as simple as calling with your pledge. You will receive an invoice from the LOTHF. And because it’s a registered charity, donators will receive a tax receipt. Donators will be honoured at the President’s Reception at Congress 2005.
With the days of summer behind us, it’s again time for chapter and commodity meetings and events. It’s the best time to learn from and network with your industry peers. Take the time from your still-hectic work schedule and attend one, two or more of these events. You won’t be disappointed.
Best wishes for good weather and a profitable fall season.

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