Marietta Morning Rotary recently received $2,000 from Shelly & Sands, Inc. The $2,000 gift card to Greenleaf Landscapes will assist the club in their continued efforts to beautify Discovery Gardens.

According to David Haas, Marietta Morning Rotary, Discovery Gardens was redeveloped when the intersection was upgraded.

“Discovery Gardens if the iconic gateway into our pioneer city,” said Haas. “It welcomes visitors to the City of Marietta and to Marietta College every day.”

In 1992, the Marietta-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau (then Marietta Tourist and Convention Bureau) established Discovery Gardens as a way to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of America.

At the time, it was believed that towns promoting “Ameriflora” displays would be recognized by tourists as satellite cities to find rooms during those celebratory events in Columbus.

“Service to the gardens by Morning Rotarians continues to this day as great care it taken to ensure it remains forever an iconic image of Marietta,” said Haas. “The donation by Shelly & Sands will help us continue those efforts.”

Marietta Morning Rotary is a humanitarian service organization focused on fulfilling community needs here in Mid-Ohio Valley and the international level. The club meets at 7 a.m. each Friday (except the first Fridays of the month) at Jeremiah’s Coffee House, 175 Front St., Marietta.