Today at the Brainerd District 6 Summit Arcadis pledged $1,000 to Project Rain Barrel - a  community-wide project that officials said fits well with the mission of the environmental engineering company, according to Pete Yakimowich, PE.

The Brainerd District 6 Summitt is a quarterly meeting convened by Councilwoman Carol Berz to address the Brainerd Road Corridor Master Plan and healthy community growth.

During the summit, Hamilton County Commissioner Tim Boyd pledged matching funding up to $1,500 for the project, saying this is a very important community effort as repurposing rainwater and saving on storm water fees will be looked at more closely in the coming months.

An additional $500 in private donations totals $3,000 to help begin the district-wide effort.

Pete Yakimowich, PE, Arcadis said, “I’m proud to be associated with a company like Arcadis that supports these kinds of community efforts. I also bring another perspective to involvement with this project, as this is what stewardship is all about. God placed us as original human beings not in a parking lot, but in a garden to tend it, grow it, and make it better, using our creativity and God-given talents to do that. And that is what is so great about this project is people with different abilities working together to bless others, and to bless our surroundings.”

The city of Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts & Culture, Office of Sustainability, Grace Episcopal Church, Higher Ground Rainwater Systems, City of Chattanooga District 6, and Councilwoman Carol Berz will come together for the Brainerd launch of “Project Rain Barrel” Earth Day events rolling out in schools and centers across the city - beginning with Brainerd District 6 on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Brainerd Farmers Market at Grace Episcopal Church at 20 Belvoir Ave.

The purpose of the district-wide Project Rain Barrel launch event is to educate the community on building rain barrels, collecting rain for gardens and other water purposes, and reducing storm water costs. Project Rain Barrel: District 6 will involve students in schools and community centers in constructing and painting rain barrels. Rain barrels typically retail for approximately $100 but hand-constructed, hand-painted rain barrels will be available for purchase for only $60, and proceeds will help cover materials costs for the program in schools and community centers.

If you are interested in sponsoring a rain barrel(s) in a school or community center near you, please contact the City of Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts & Culture at 423 425-7823.

If you are interested in purchasing a hand-crafted, hand-painted rain barrel (proceeds benefit continued program in schools and community centers), Higher Ground Rainwater Systems will deliver.

Please contact the city of Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts & Culture at 423 425-7823. For more information about “Project Rain Barrel ” and the city of Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts & Culture contact Melissa Turner 423 425-7826 or turner_m@chattanooga.gov.