2004 Garden Walk raises $36,300 for MMI programs

One of many flowerbeds in the back yard of Brent & Denise Davies.

Winding rock paths and ponds border the swimming pool in Larry and Mary Richling’s yard.

Guests appreciated the creativity in Paul and Michele Eakins’ backyard.

On June 12 – the day before the Munroe-Meyer Guild 2004 Garden Walk — Omaha nearly set a record for a single day’s rainfall. A heavy downpour is the worst-case scenario for the annual tour that supports MMI’s therapeutic, training and research activities benefiting children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities and chronic handicapping conditions.

But the sun shone on June 13 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and hundreds of guests moved through the seven-featured gardens, raising $36,300 for the MMI programs. Then, just as the walk ended, the clouds rolled in and by 5:05 p.m. it had begun to rain.

“There must have been a whole lot of people praying the night before because Sunday was absolutely beautiful weather – we couldn’t have asked for better,” said Lynn Perry, Garden Walk publicity coordinator for the Munroe-Meyer Guild. “We had great crowds at all the gardens just about all day long.”

“We want to thank the homeowners who allowed public access to their gardens – without them none of this is possible each year. And we want to thank all of the volunteers who handled tickets, answered questions and worked vendor stations at the various homes.

“There are a lot of programs at Munroe-Meyer Guild that really look forward to the annual grants we are able to provide from the proceeds of the Garden Walk,” Perry said. “All of the money raised is distributed to various MMI projects, which are able to take our humble little grants and really stretch the dollars.”