RELEASED: March 17, 2005

DANVILLE, KY—Mark April 1 on your calendar. No joke! Yes, it's April Fool's Day but it's also Arbor Day, and Centre College will celebrate by making the campus a greener and more beautiful place.

Don Good of facilities management will be joined by fraternity and sorority volunteers to plant 15 to 20 trees along Greek Row on Walnut Street and behind the houses near the basketball court. "We're transforming the entire area into a nice green space," says associate dean Bill Johnston, who is supervising the project. The planting will begin between 1 and 2 p.m.

"We're extremely grateful to Mike Ray of Carl Ray Nurseries of Louisville, who donated a number of sunset red maples," Johnston says. "These are already quite substantial trees—over two inches in diameter—and will make an immediate impact."

Travis Pinnix, a sophomore from Hunstville, Ala., who is coordinating the volunteers, says "This is a great opportunity for me, as well as Greek organizations, to show some ownership in the campus. Planting trees along Greek Row provides a chance for the Greek organizations to demonstrate their merit and to show the commitment that Centre students have to their college. This year's Arbor Day event is hopefully just the beginning; we have plans for it to grow in the years to come and to involve more of the Centre community."

Johnston encourages everyone to participate, "to get your hands dirty and plant trees with us, or just to observe, cheer us on, and enjoy a nice spring ritual—one that, we hope, will be the first of many Arbor Day celebrations."

The brainchild of J. Sterling Morton, who started it in Nebraska in 1872, Arbor Day is a nationwide celebration of tree planting and tree care. National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April, but the actual date of observance varies from state to state according to the best time to plant. The holiday tends to be celebrated later in southern climes than up north, for obvious reasons.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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