The Cumberland University cycling team recently formed a volunteer partnership program with Ride for Reading, an organization that aims to improve literacy for low-income children. The 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization was formed in Nashville in early 2008 and, in two years, has already distributed over 15,000 books to needy children in the Metro Nashville area. Cumberland cycling will become the Wilson County chapter for Ride for Reading and target Lebanon, Watertown and Mt. Juliet area schools.

"We are ecstatic to have the Cumberland University cycling team on board," says the Executive Director of Ride for Reading, Matthew Portell. "Giving a child a book is giving them the opportunity to go anywhere, see anything and experience everything, and the cycling team will help provide the means to those journeys."

"It inspires me as an educator to see university students getting involved in their community," says Portell. "These experiences will not only change the outlook of their lives as students but will also prepare them for future professional experiences."

Various drop-off points for the donation of books will be announced shortly, and team members will be available to pick up those donations through the book drive campaign. All types of books are accepted regardless of the wear and tear, subject matter or age appropriateness. The cycling team's first distribution event is planned to take place in mid-April 2010, and the squad's goal is to take in several hundred books prior to that date.

"Every cyclist on the team will volunteer time to acquire book donations, cultivate relationships with local businesses and educators, as well as coordinate regular book distribution events each semester," says CU head cycling coach Tim Hall.

Ride for Reading made a unique connection by not only addressing literacy concerns but also by adding a bicycle safety element to their presentation. On the day of distribution, the cycling team will make a delivery on their bicycles with books in backpacks, and just like a Tour de France race, the kids will be outside to cheer the cyclists as they arrive on school grounds. Each child taking part in the distribution will get an opportunity to choose his or her own book to read and keep.

"Carrying books on our bikes and being greeted by kids as we arrive, we are looking forward to that moment," says Coach Hall. "This is a natural fit for us and the community; to promote literacy for children in need while also addressing bicycling safety."

If you business or organization would like to become a book donation drop-off point, or if you have books you would like to donate, please contact CU cycling coach Tim Hall at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 615-547-1207. To learn more about Ride for Reading, please visit www.rideforreading.org.

Pictured: Ride for Reading Executive Director Matthew Portell (left) and CU cycling coach Tim Hall.

Natural beauty and man-made artistry will be combined and celebrated at the 21st Annual Nashville Lawn & Garden Show on Thursday, March 4, through Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. Staged to the them Artistic by Nature, the show will feature an acre of live gardens, 26 free lectures, a floral design gallery and more than 250 exhibit booths filled with plants, products, services, equipment and information offered by horticultural experts and vendors from 15 states.

"During the past 20 years, gardeners and garden lovers have made the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show the most popular horticultural event in Tennessee. We are very proud that the 21st anniversary show has been named a Top 20 Event by the South East Tourism Society of the USA," said Randall Lantz, co-manager of the event, which is produced by the Horticultural Association of Tennessee.

Gardens are the show's centerpiece. Created by Middle Tennessee professional landscape designers and horticultural groups, the gardens at the 2010 show will focus on the artistry of combining thousands of varied, colorful plants and flowers with man-made features such as stonework, gazebos, fountains, ponds, sculpture and fire pits. The show's Artistic by Nature theme is reflected in garden names such as Artful Inspirations; A Stroke of Color - A Splash of Thyme; Mother Nature's Paintbrush; and Artistry in Motion.

A series of 26 free lectures will cover a wide range of topics, many of them exploring the show's theme. Acclaimed Nashville photographer and native plant expert, J. Paul Moore will share his award winning photographs that reveal the artistry of nature on Thursday, March 4, at 3 p.m. during his presentation, The Art of Seeing: A Photographer's Perspective. Patricia Kyritsi Howell, who calls both northern Georgia and the Greek island of Crete her home, will celebrate the art of healing with medicinal herbs on Friday, March 5, at 2 p.m., when she will discuss Mad Dog Skullcap, Puke Weed & Faerie Torches: Medicinal Plants of the South. On Friday evening, she will present a workshop session from 6 until 8 p.m., Our Living Apothecary: Native Medicinal Plants of the South and Their Uses; there is a $20 fee to participate in the workshop. On Saturday, March 6, at noon, Howell's topic is The Sustainable Herbs that Everyone Should Know & Grow. Award-winning artist Sherri Warner Hunter of Bell Buckle, Tenn. will demonstrate and reveal the beauty and versatility of concrete during her lecture on Saturday, March 6 at 3 p.m., Concrete in the Garden: Yard Art, Sculptures and Ornaments.

Another featured speaker will be Harvey Cotten, chief operating officer at the Huntsville Botanical Garden in Huntsville, Ala., a weekly home and garden columnist in the Huntsville Times, and a weekly guest on a Huntsville noonday TV show. Cotten is the co-author of Easy Gardens for the South, the topic of his presentation on Saturday, March 6 at 4 p.m. He will discuss how to create gorgeous gardens with the easiest, colorful, low-water plants the South has to offer. Click here to view the complete schedule for the series of free lectures - many lecturers will sell their books and products after their presentations.

The show's spectacular floral design gallery, featuring the work of more than 25 of the best designers in the mid-south region, delights show attendees of every age. Items offered in the show's 250 exhibit booths range from tractors to tulips and sundials to seeds. If it has to do with gardening and outdoor living, it probably can be found at the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show.

FEATURED NASHVILLE LAWN & GARDEN SHOW PARTICIPANTS FROM WILSON COUNTY (as of Feb. 11, 2010)

Speakers

Jim Garrison, Tennessee Beekeepers Association (The Beekeepers Association is based in Watertown).

Date and Time of Lecture: Thursday, March 4 at 5 p.m.

Lecture Topic: Beekeeping

Gardens

Living Stone, Brush Creek

Garden Title: Tranquil Retreat

Ponds by David, Inc. Aquatic Nursery and Supplies, Mt. Juliet

Garden Title: Artistry in Motion

Roots Outdoor Designs, Mt. Juliet

Garden Title: Where Plants and Art Combine

Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, Mt. Juliet

Garden Title: Saving Tomorrow's Wildlife Today

Exhibitors

Eastman Hardscape Construction, Mt. Juliet

Garr's Rental & Feed, Mt. Juliet

Kathy Chester Studio, Mt. Juliet

Lynch Tree Service, Lebanon

Moss Florist & Garden Center, Mt. Juliet

Needhams Nursery, Mt. Juliet

Unique Product Sales Co., Mt. Juliet

Watermelon Moon Farm, Lebanon

Floral Designers

Scott Graham - S.S. Graham, Lebanon

Cary Ann Misamore - Fresh by Carry Ann, Mt. Juliet

Brenda Moss - Moss' Florist, Mt. Juliet

Special Offers & Events: In celebration of the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show's 21st anniversary, anyone who presents a photo driver's license to prove a birthdate in 1989 will receive one (1) free admission to the show. $2 discount coupons for the show are available at participating branch locations of Regions Bank, the show's sponsor. On March 4, 5 and 6, beginning at 5 p.m., all tickets are buy one get one free. In addition, $1 discount coupons for show admission are available on the Nashville Lawn & Garden Show website. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more adults when purchased in a block at the ticket window. Discount coupons and offers cannot be combined.

In celebration of the show's 21st anniversary, there will be a 21st Anniversary Celebration Reception in the gardens on Friday, March 5, and Saturday, March 6, from 5 until 8 p.m. The reception will feature tastings by Barefoot Wines.

Proceeds from the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show are used by the Horticultural Association of Tennessee to fund horticultural projects throughout Tennessee. For more complete information, call the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show office at 615-876-7680 or visit www.nashvillelawnandgardenshow.com.

CITY OF LEBANON

Lebanon Police Department: 615-444-2323

Lebanon Fire Department: 615-443-2903

CITY OF MT. JULIET

Mt. Juliet Police Department: 615-754-2550

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CITY OF WATERTOWN

Watertown Police Department: 615-237-3225

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WILSON COUNTY

Wilson County Emergency Management Agency (Fire/Ambulance/Rescue): 615-444-8799

Wilson County Sheriff's Department: 615-444-1412

Please Note: In the event of an emergency, DIAL 911.