RAPID CITY, S.D. — Gardeners across Rapid City showed off their green thumbs this weekend during the first-ever “Blooms and Pathways” tour, a fundraising event to support the Black Hills Works Foundation. The event was organized by the Rapid City Rotary Club, Rapid City Garden Club, Rapid City Parks and Recreation, and the Black Hills Works Foundation.

The self-guided tour on Sunday featured 13 different gardens, both public and private, tended by a variety of community members including Rotarians, churches, and local residents. All proceeds from the event benefit the Black Hills Works community garden, a program utilized by the nearly 600 adults with disabilities the organization serves. The tour began at the community garden itself, which serves as a centerpiece of the foundation’s recreational and therapeutic programs.

Michele Looby-Gertsch, the director of advancement for Black Hills Works, said the garden is an important, volunteer-driven resource for the people they support.

“We have 20 different raised beds. Some of them are accessible by wheelchair, but they are all raised, so that has been a labor of love by a lot of volunteers,” she said.

As an incentive, attendees received a punch card for a 15-percent discount at Jolly Lane Greenhouse, a long-time supporter of the foundation. Black Hills Works hopes to grow the garden tour into an annual tradition.

Per grew up in Sioux Falls and graduated from South Dakota Mines. He found his passion for weather reporting by the impact it has on the community, both in how people work and how it brings people together through severe weather preparation. He also has a passion for preventing health issues with Air Quality Index awareness. Per can be found enjoying outdoor activities in the Black Hills when the weather allows.