A sweet potato project spearheaded by Lincoln Elementary School fourth-graders and instructor Mary Ann Regehr was recognized by the Iola Community Involvement Task Force/PRIDE Committee.
Members of CITF PRIDE presented the award to Regehr and students now in fifth grade during a special ceremony at Lincoln Monday.
The project stemmed from CITF/PRIDEs decision to add flower pots around the square in downtown Iola a few years back. The venture drew Regehrs attention, who asked if she and her students could have the sweet potatoes and tubercles in the fall of 2018 to plant in the Lincoln greenhouse over the winter, utilizing a gardeners grant to help maintain the vines.
Donna Houser CITF/PRIDE member, retrieved the plants in the spring to replant in the flower pots around the square.
Most of the vines grew quite well during the growing season over the summer.
The effort led to CITF/PRIDEs decision to nominate the Lincoln project for the Kansas PRIDE Rising Star Award.
Presenting the award were Barbara Anderson of the Kansas Department of Commerce, as well as CITF/PRIDE members Houser, Heather Curry and Corey Schinstock to Regehr and the students.
Plans are in the works to take the vines and harvest them again over the winter so they can be replanted in the spring.
