Lynchburg Reporter

Liberty High School recently issued the following announcement.

As a part of their community service program, Lowe’s on 83rd Avenue and Thunderbird recently connected with Peoria High School to give back to the school and offer their assistance. Peoria High School has had a long-term vision to finish the orchard that sits just west of the school’s administration building.  Lowe’s generously agreed to donate items to help Peoria Unified’s oldest high school make their vision of the orchard come to life.

On the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 2, Lowe’s donated 230 bags of mulch, seven citrus trees (lemon, orange, and mandarin) and five vines. They brought a team to finish the orchard, which included more than a dozen volunteers. Lowe’s also donated all the tools used (rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows) to the school’s Agriculture program.

“The campus orchard at Peoria High School is a project our students started over two years ago in the Agriculture Science program,” stated Jared Biciolis, Agriculture Teacher at Peoria High School. “Unfortunately, the project faced some setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are extremely grateful that our local Lowe’s store and their Hero’s Projects Program reached out to us and were able to step in and help. Their efforts finishing the orchard, along with the generous donation of all the equipment, landscaping materials, and trees, truly put a smile on the face of so many Peoria High School students.”

“As a teacher, it was incredible seeing so many students proud of something on their high school campus as the orchard was being completed, continued Biciolis. “What is even better is knowing that this orchard will last for years to come and be used as both a focal point of scenery on campus along with an educational tool for future agriculture students. The cherry on top was that a few of the volunteers who helped with the orchard were former Peoria High students who spent their morning to give back to their alma mater. These are the types of things that make the Agriculture Science Program, Peoria High School, and our local community so special.”

To learn more about the Agriculture program at Peoria High School, visit the district’s website or call Peoria Unified at 623-486-6100.

Original source can be found here.