Sheldon, Iowa — The Prairie Arts Council continues to work to make the Prairie Arts Historical Park an even nicer place to learn about northwest Iowa history.
Last year the park added four benches, two picnic tables, and a garbage receptacle, all made with recycled shopping bags, thanks to a grant they received. This year they’d like to get some more outdoor furniture made from bags.
And you can help. Prairie Arts Grant Writer Colleen Lemkuil says that you can drop off your used plastic grocery bags at Hy-Vee, Fareway, or Shopko in Sheldon, and these bags will go to help make the furniture. The Iowa Grocery Industry Association promotes plastic bag recycling through the “Build With Bags” program. But they also want to remember the environment, so they encourage you to use reusable bags when you shop.
Lemkuil says this time the Prairie Arts Council is requesting in their “Bags To Benches” grant application, a hexagon table to put in the corner of their lot. They are also asking for a bench to honor the Prairie Queen Kiwanis who completed the restoration of the Don Mc Kay Pioneer home in the center of the buildings. Lemkuil says it would be a great place for people, especially those who are somewhat handicapped to sit while they are waiting or listening to the guide. They’re also asking for another garbage receptacle to keep the park looking good, and two flower boxes, all made from plastic bags. The value of the furniture is nearly $1600.
Lemkuil says they are doing several things to convince the Iowa Grocery Industry Association to pick the Prairie Arts Historical Park as a grant recipient. She says they have put up several posters encouraging people to recycle their bags, they will have speakers in the schools talking about recycling, they will have a billboard on Highway 18, and more.
The grant deadline is March 30th. The Iowa Grocery Industry Association hopes to announce the grants on Earth Day, which is April 22nd.
Photo caption: One of the benches made with plastic bags that were installed last year at the Prairie Arts Historical Park in Sheldon. The picnic tables and garbage receptacle in the rear of the photo were also obtained last year through the grant.
