The National Cherry Blossom Festival will join three-time Host Sponsor, Chase, for a tree-planting ceremony in Oxon Run Park. Celebrating the company’s partnership with the Festival, Chase will plant a special variety of 30 cherry trees in the Ward 8 recreational park at Wheeler Road and Valley Avenue Southeast. The ceremony will begin at 9 AM on October 22, 2021.
The community ceremony will be attended by Alfonso Guzman, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director for Chase; Absalom Jordan, Chair, Friends of Oxon Run Park and Diana Mayhew, president and CEO for the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
“We are thrilled to partner with Chase for a tree planting, which is a great way to ensure that the reach of the region’s official celebration of spring will continue to extend beyond the Tidal Basin for many years to come,” said Diana Mayhew, President and CEO, National Cherry Blossom Festival. “We’re already gearing up for the 2022 Festival, and thanks to support from Chase, more of our neighboring communities will feel a part of the gift of the blooming cherry tree tradition which began nearly 110 years ago.”
Since 2019, Chase has served as a Host Sponsor of the Festival and this tree planting is the culmination of the Blossom Kids program from the 2021 Festival. Through the virtual learning program, kids completed learning milestones and earned badges. For the first 30 children who completed a Blossom Badge on the National Cherry Blossom Festival website, Chase is planting these 30 cherry trees at Oxon Run Park.
“Cherry Blossom season in D.C. is a special time when white and pink take over the city, and we are proud to be able to bring these magnificent flowers to those that can’t always make it to the Tidal Basin,” said Alfonso Guzman, Chase Mid-Atlantic Regional Director. “As Chase continues to open branches in the Southeast, supporting the community beyond providing financial literacy resources is also important to us. Planting these trees gives us an opportunity to bring an extra bit of beauty to the neighbors that we serve.”
The Festival has been committed to further enhancing the natural beauty of Washington, D.C. by planting new cherry trees in neighborhoods across the city since 2002.
In partnership with Casey Trees, the Neighborhood Tree Planting Program collaborates with schools, civic groups, and community groups throughout DC’s eight wards to plant new trees and educate groups about tree care and maintenance. Collectively, the Festival has successfully planted hundreds of trees across the District and in National Landing.
“The National Cherry Blossom Festival has graciously established a beloved footprint in Ward 8 in the city’s largest park, Oxon Run,” said Absalom Jordan. “The cherry blossoms add a very special element to our landscape.” The park will also be a part of the 2022 Blossom Kite Festival, which will take place March 26 on the Washington Monument grounds and at partner parks like Oxon Run across the D.C. Metro region.
For more information about what is in store for the 2022 Festival, visit NationalCherryBlossomFestival.org and follow the Festival’s social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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