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Last Updated on Saturday, 29 October 2016 16:33

McMurray’s Giant Oaks Garden Club Receives Several Awards

South Hills Country Club was the setting for the 16th annual meeting for District X of the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania. State board members, District X board members and the presidents of the 11 clubs that compose District X were recognized. There were 53 members in attendance.

Garden Club Presidents

District X awards were presented by Awards Chairman Kay Bair, President of Town & Country Garden Club. Twenty-four Daffodil Awards and 48 Laurel Awards were presented to members of the 11 clubs.

Giant Oaks Garden Club, of McMurray, was awarded the Blue Rosette Award for the Outstanding Garden Club in District X for 2016. Seeds of Service awards for Garden Therapy and The Wright House were also given to Giant Oaks Garden Club.

The Butterfly Award was given to Diane Palmer of Giant Oaks Garden Club for her outstanding garden club member, Barbara Jo Nerone, who was unable to attend the meeting.
Lou Ann Kinol of Giant Oaks Garden Club and Judy Cholak of Great Meadows Garden Club were added to the Honor Roll of Exceptional Horticulturists.

Mary Menniti of “The Italian Garden Project” presented the afternoon program. Menniti documented the horticultural tradition of gardening with relatives and former Italian-American neighbors. Menniti founded The Italian Garden Project to ensure that the legacy of immigrants such as the Macchiones and her grandfather, Antonio Martone, won’t be lost. Menniti said, “I assumed someone else was preserving this heritage, but the more I looked, the less I saw was documented.”

To close out the day, new district officers for 2016-2018 were installed by GCFP President Sharon Brown: Vina McLeod Rudolph, District Director; Kay Bair, Assistant Director; Linda Coleman, Secretary; and Janice Yeaton, Treasurer.

In the photo: Club presidents recognized were (l-r):Sandra Grilli, Martha Washington GC; Sally Calabrese, Green Gardeners; Michael Sarraino, Garden Club of Munhall; Angie Raitano, Valley Garden Club; Jan Nevling, Pleasant Hills GC; Diane Palmer, Giant Oaks GC; JoAnn Celaschi, Charleroi GC; and Kay Bair, Town & Country GC.