Pink Ribbon Garden Project
Welcome and thank you for your interest in the Pink Ribbon Garden Project, a project driven by Libby’s Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation and co-founded with Melissa Etheridge to allow survivors the ability to grow fresh produce for themselves and their families, as well as to allow folks to garden in honor or in memory of a loved one. Currently the inaugural garden is located in Lake Druid Park,Orlando, Florida with 4 more Pink Ribbon Gardens across the country with more phases to come including hydroponics and aquaponics!
Why a Pink Ribbon Garden? It all started when we lost a vibrant young breast cancer thriver named ‘Smiley’ . Jennifer ‘Smiley’ came to us at 30 years old, needing a mammogram, which led to more diagnostics and ultimately we diagnosed her and navigated her to treatment with top notch care. Unfortunately, the breast cancer metastasized and we were devastated at Jennifer’s passing just 2 1/2 years later. We wondered what else we could possibly do!? It came down to the disparities that many face including not having access to healthy foods in aiding in the prevention of breast cancer or its recurrence. Smiley is the motivation to do our part and we intend to continue opening Pink Ribbon Gardens across the country to provide this access. ( Read more of this story below )
Read the national press release here.
If you are interested in more information on the Pink Ribbon Garden Project, you may send an inquiry here.
If you would like to join a current Pink Ribbon Garden team or learn more about what it means to be a Pink Ribbon Gardener, click for the info and application here.
Orlando Pink Ribbon Garden
The Pink Ribbon Garden (PRG) is co-founded by Libby’s Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation and Grammy-winning musician Melissa Etheridge. They celebrated the ribbon cutting for this project together on May 16, 2017. The garden is located inside Lake Druid Park, the largest community garden in Central Florida, and consists of a 29′ x 17′ raised bed garden box in the shape of an awareness ribbon.
The land was offered by The City of Orlando for the project as part of the Lake Druid Community Garden, and the structure was designed by Libby’s Legacy, built by volunteers, painted pink and planted by survivors.
Libby’s Legacy had breast cancer recurrences in 2016 in three patients ( including Smiley ), this had never happened before at the foundation and Libby’s set out to find any way possible to intervene and help prevent recurrences. Research has shown that good nutrition and dietary intervention can help prevent breast cancer recurrence, in some cases by up to 24 percent. Having seen their underserved breast cancer survivors struggle with maintaining healthy eating before, during, and after treatment, the idea for the pink ribbon garden was born.
One month later, Robin Maynard-Harris attended a breast cancer workshop lead by Melissa Etheridge, a singer-songwriter, breast cancer survivor, activist and clean-living proponent, on the critical necessity and health benefits of organic foods, she stood up and shared her dilemma and possible plan. When she told Melissa her idea to talk about a “pink” community garden, there was an immediate and palpable spark that led to months of collaboration.
Together, they co-founded The Pink Ribbon Garden Project.
Part of the project’s “Grow one, Give one” concept, is that each survivor tends the garden and for each bag harvested, the survivor collects another bag for a patient in current treatment.
The project has already received praise throughout the communities that house the project and an outpouring of support. For more information or to sign up, email garden@libbyslegacy.org.
