Farmers direct donation to Pinckneyville Hospital

Perry County farmers Jim and Carolyn Bathon have won the opportunity to direct a $2,500 donation from Monsanto's America's Farmers Grow Communities program to the Pinckneyville Community Hospital Auxiliary.

The Auxiliary will use the funds to help the hospital develop a reflection garden to be enjoyed by patients and visitors.

"This donation is very timely," said Randall W. Dauby, Pinckneyville Community Hospital Auxiliary administrator and CEO. "We have been talking about developing the garden since we moved to our new facility in 2015. This donation was the motivation we needed to get moving on the plans."

The Grow Communities program's purpose is to make a positive impact in farm communities by partnering with farmers to support the causes that are important to them. Each year, farmers enter for a chance to win a $2,500 donation that they direct to a local not-for-profit.

Since the program began in 2010, farmers have directed more than $26 million in donations across a broad cross-section of organizations that include food banks, emergency response organizations, schools, youth agriculture programs and others.

"Farmers have directed funds to more than 8,000 community organizations across rural America since Grow Communities began," said Al Mitchell, the Monsanto Fund president.

For more information or to see a complete list of the 2017 America's Farmers Grow Communities recipients, visit GrowCommunities.com.