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Habitat for Humanity benefits from Public Radio fundraiser

Allison Baugh

A Habitat for Humanity home will be brightened by new landscape designed by a USU student and with materials gathered by a student group.

Kevin Jensen, a landscape architecture and environmental planning honors student designed the layout, and the USU student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects is collecting plants and irrigation material from local businesses, according to Tamara Shaprio, an LAEP professor.

Habitat for Humanity recently joined with Utah Public Radio for a fundraising even that helped both groups, said Cathy Ives, UPR station general manager. She explained that the radio station held a fundraiser to help fund the station and wanted to join with another group, but they couldn’t directly raise money for a nonprofit group. They decided to have businesses donate material to help Habitat for Humanity instead.

“For every pledge, we had a corporate partner who would donate a 2×4,” Ives said.

UPR’s goal was to receive 750 pledges, and Ives said they reached that goal and thus were able to provide the framing for the home.

In the more than 50 years the station has been on the air and doing such fundraisers, Ives said this year’s was the biggest success. They were able to raise not only money for their station but also the wood for framing the home, They also got other businesses to donate all the lighting fixtures, doorknobs, hinges and more.

“I want to personally thank everyone for their support and all of our community partners, including Burton Lumber, Beazer Lock and Key, Thomson Premier Lighting and Appliance and the students from the landscape architecture and environmental planning department of Utah State University,” Ives said.

The Habitat for Humanity organization is currently in the process of buying the land, and Ives said the project will be completed this year.

UPR is heard in Logan on stations KUSU (91.5 FM) and KUSR (89.5 FM). Anyone still wishing to donate can contact the Habitat for Humanity or visit its Web site at www.cachevalleyhabitat.org.

-albaugh@cc.usu.edu