FRANKFORT, Ky. – With the 135th Kentucky Derby rapidly approaching and festivities underway across the state, First Lady Jane Beshear joined nationally renowned, Kentucky-native landscaper Jon Carloftis to help raise breast cancer awareness and encourage wildlife conservation efforts.
This morning, Beshear and Carloftis placed limited edition, pink Louisville Stoneware birdhouses in the trees around the Governor’s Mansion. Designed by Louisville Stoneware and Carloftis specifically for the 2009 Kentucky Derby season, the birdhouses will decorate the Mansion grounds until the First Lady’s Celebration of Hope luncheon on Monday, May 4, at the Frankfort Civic Center.
Celebrating its 12th anniversary, the annual Celebration of Hope seeks to honor breast cancer survivors from across the Commonwealth. Originally a small tea for 25 guests, this year more than 1,000 survivors are expected to attend. The birdhouses will be on sale at the luncheon for $65, with 15 percent of the proceeds benefiting National Garden Clubs, Inc. and 10 percent going toward the Susan G. Komen Fund for the Cure.
“Thanks to the innovative vision of Mr. Carloftis and Sandy Robinson of the National Garden Club of America, these beautiful birdhouses will help to raise funds for two causes deeply important to me—breast cancer awareness and the preservation of our nation’s green spaces,” said Beshear.
For more information about purchasing a birdhouse, click here.
