Donation • Peach
Tree Replacement Campaign posters,
such as this one found in the dorms,
request students help replace and replant
the peach trees at Cal State Long Beach.
Allison Baldwin / Online Forty-Niner
Donations ensure next peach tree generation
By Allison Baldwin
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
In a placard campaign running until Nov. 19, Bookstore Services and Dining
Services invite the campus to donate to a cause that will last for years
to come—replacing
the peach trees on campus.
The Peach Tree Replacement Fund is the final phase of an effort to raise
$85,000 for the replacement of the flowering “Helen Borcher” peach
trees planted in the 1960s.
Originally 3,000 trees were planted on campus, but many have died of disease
or passed the average life expectancy of 25 to 30 years, said Nancy Roberts,
director of development for the Student Services Division.
Money raised for the fund will go to the replanting of 500 trees, each of which
costs $85, Roberts said. Any remaining money will be put into an endowment fund,
where it can accumulate interest and be used when it is time to replace the trees
again.
The Cal State Long Beach Foundation raised $75,000 through previous efforts,
primarily through private donors, and hopes to raise most of the remaining $10,000
through the Placard Campaign.
Inspiration for planting the ornamental peach trees came from the cherry
blossoms in Japan and in Washington D.C., Roberts said. The trees were
incorporated into
the school’s perimeter by campus architect Ed Killingsworth and campus
landscaper Ed Lovell.
“
It was [their] dream to plant the peach trees as a reflection of how beautiful
the campus is on the interior,” Roberts said.
A community campaign to raise money for the original peach trees, including the
development of a fundraising team called the Peach Core, was the inspiration
for the Placard Campaign that started Nov. 7.
Students and faculty can donate to the Peach Tree Replacement at the 49er shops
on campus. After a contribution of $1, each donor gets to sign a placard that
will be displayed at the location where they donated. Director of Bookstore services
Fred Neely said even small donations would be gladly accepted.
“ There is no minimum to what you can donate; we are grateful even if you
can only give 20 or 50 cents.”
From Nov. 7 to Nov. 8 between $1,200 and $1,300 were raised by contributions
from students and faculty, Neely said.
Neely and Roberts said the goal of the program is to take in between $2,000 and
$5,000 in the two weeks the drive lasts. One possible opportunity to boost donations
is a special night at the bookstore for faculty, staff, and alumni on Nov. 18.
Roberts said the coordinators of the drive want to give students a chance to
become more involved with the campus itself and to make a difference that will
still be visible when the next generation of students arrives.
“
We want to bring the community together and to make students feel like a part
of the campus,” Roberts said. “This way they will be involved
with campus beautification for many years to come.”
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