While the Porter County Public Library system is working to open a new library garden in Hebron this year, it is still accepting donations for those already open at other branches.
This includes a $25,000 gift to the 1st Source Foundation for the Coates Library garden, which opened in June.
The foundation previously donated $25,000 to the Portage Library garden.
“We are thrilled to receive this generous grant from the 1st Source Foundation,” PCPLS Director Jesse Butz said in a press release. “Their continued support allows us to expand our gardens and offer our community many opportunities to interact and connect with each other.”
The Coates Library garden features a large fiberglass pig, a nod to the town's history, which hosts an annual pork festival, and the Harold Heinold Pork Market, which put the town on the map for hog farmers and commodity traders. The pig is still available for a $10,000 sponsorship.
There is also a pollinator station allowing visitors to plant and care for flowers, which can be sponsored for $4,500. Other features are also available for sponsorship.
“1st Source Bank is pleased to support the Porter County Public Library System with this grant,” 1st Source Bank Western Region President Matt Wessley said in a press release. “Early literacy is a vital component of a strong community, and places like the Coates Library Garden bring people together to use the library's extensive resources.”
The Hebron Library Garden, the latest branch to be seen, will include a $28,000 in-ground piano funded by the Hebron Redevelopment Commission, as well as other features designed to reflect the character of the community.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
