BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) – As part of Rotolo’s 10th annual Homegrown Love program, hundreds of Baton Rouge elementary school students will give their moms a tomato plant as a gift for Mother’s Day.
The program began in April as part of the pizzeria’s Earth Day recycling program. Diners were asked to recycle their Rotolo’s cups in exchange for free pizza. From May 6 to 10, the cups will be repurposed and donated to Baton Rouge area schools, along with soil, tomato plants, and the tools needed so students can create a unique Mother’s Day gift.
Rotolo’s says the Homegrown Love program gives teachers the chance to explore recycling, gardening, and healthy eating with 3rd and 4th graders. One of the participating schools will get a $500 grant to start a school garden.
“We look forward to this program every year because it’s a fun, meaningful way to bring the community together. The Homegrown Love program creates a fun opportunity to teach children in our community the importance of recycling and living a healthy lifestyle, while also creating an environmentally friendly gift for Mother’s Day. Together, family members can nurture the plant, watch it grow, and enjoy the tomatoes the plant produces. At Rotolo’s, we are always looking for ways to get involved with the community and it’s so exciting to see everyone come together and participate in this program,” said Mitch Rotolo, founder and CEO of Rotolo’s Pizzeria.
The Homegrown Love program will be at the following schools:
- May 6 – Mayfair Lab School
- May 7 – St. Jude the Apostle School
- May 8 – St. Aloysius Catholic School
- May 9 – Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School and St. Thomas More School
- May 10 – Montessori School of Baton Rouge – Wimbeldon and Montessori School of Baton Rouge – St. Margaret’s
For more information about the program, click here.