If you are a customer with a product-related inquiry, please contact us at www.toro.com/en/customer-support/contact. If you are a member of the media, please contact the appropriate individual shown below:

Agriculture (Micro Irrigation)
Tony Tavares
240-517-6498
tony.tavares@toro.com
Golf (Equipment)
David Yakes
952-887-7115
david.yakes@toro.com
Homeowner (Equipment)
Trina Lundblad
952-887-7146
trina.lundblad@toro.com
Landscape Contractor Equipment
Trina Lundblad
952-887-7146
trina.lundblad@toro.com
Rental & Construction
Luann Monahan
952-887-7220
luann.monahan@toro.com
Sports Fields & Grounds (Equipment)
David Yakes
952-887-7115
david.yakes@toro.com
Corporate (General Media Inquiries)
Branden Happel
952-887-8930
branden.happel@toro.com

Community Impact Project Brings Improvements to Folly Farm Nature Reserve

Safety Harbor benefits from community enhancement event

Apr 06, 2022  |   Rental

MOLINE, IL. -  A Community Impact Project aimed at giving back to communities across the country through rental-related projects has helped to bring improvements to one of Safety Harbor’s most popular attractions, Folly Farm Nature Preserve. This park serves thousands of people each year and hosts numerous activities to support the community, such as Friday Follies at Folly Farm, Garden Fest, family-friendly yoga, and Films at Folly.

Folly Farm is a 10-acre city park that focuses on native landscaping practices and education with amenities that include a butterfly garden, hiking trails, playgrounds, and a community orchard. The park was donated by George Weiss to the city of Safety Harbor in 2014 and opened to the public in 2017.

This project site was selected as a Community Impact Project by the American Rental Association (ARA) Foundation and The Toro Company Foundation. The initiative involves both foundations partnering with local nonprofit organizations to coordinate community service projects across the country. The dual-purpose program allows those in the rental industry an opportunity to give back to their community, as well as build public awareness and demonstrate the advantages of rental.
 
More than 50 volunteers from area rental businesses and local residents volunteered time and equipment to complete the one-day project on March 30. Work included making trail improvements to prevent erosion, clearing wetlands of invasive vegetation, building a swale to prevent flooding as well as beautification and ground maintenance. Companies supporting the project include:

  • Rentalex
  • Marketing Concepts
  • Kate Ryan Event Rentals
  • Jamco
  • Elite Events & Rentals
  • Power Equipment Solutions
  • THG Rental & Sales of Clearwater
  • Devitt & Associates
  • KWI Grand Rental
  • West Coast Rental
  • Bulldog Equipment Rental

This is the second project completed in 2022 and the fifth in a series of 10 Community Impact Projects overall. Previous projects were organized in Cleveland, Ohio, Denver, Colo., St. Paul, Minn., and San Antonio, Texas. Future projects for 2022 are being slated in California, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Each project is made possible through a $20,000 donation from the ARA Foundation and The Toro Company Foundation. This contribution provides the nonprofit organization the funds to purchase materials required to complete the project with any remaining funds going toward long-term project maintenance.

Judson McNeil  |  Toro Foundation  |  952-887-8870  |  judson.mcneil@toro.com
Tracy Johannsen  |  ARA Foundation  |  309-277-4270  |  tracy.johannsen@ararentl.org
About The Toro Company: (www.thetorocompany.com)
The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC) is a leading worldwide provider of innovative solutions for the outdoor environment including turf and landscape maintenance, snow and ice management, underground utility construction, rental and specialty construction, and irrigation and outdoor lighting solutions. With sales of $4 billion in fiscal 2021, The Toro Company’s global presence extends to more than 125 countries through a family of brands that includes Toro, Ditch Witch, Exmark, Spartan Mowers, BOSS Snowplow, Ventrac, American Augers, Subsite Electronics, HammerHead, Trencor, Unique Lighting Systems, Irritrol, Hayter, Pope, Perrot, Lawn-Boy and Radius HDD. Through constant innovation and caring relationships built on trust and integrity, The Toro Company and its family of brands have built a legacy of excellence by helping customers work on golf courses, sports fields, construction sites, public green spaces, commercial and residential properties and agricultural operations.
 
About ARA: (www.ARArental.org)
The American Rental Association, Moline, Ill., is an international trade association for owners of equipment and event rental businesses and the manufacturers and suppliers of construction, general tool, and event rental equipment. ARA members, which include more than 11,000 rental businesses and more than 1,000 manufacturers and suppliers, are located in every U.S. state, every Canadian province and more than 50 countries worldwide. Founded in 1955, ARA is the source for information, advocacy, education, networking and marketplace opportunities for the equipment and event rental industry throughout the world.
 
About the ARA Foundation (www.ararental.org/ARA-Foundation)
The ARA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is the heart of the equipment and event rental industry. Its mission is to implement programs that create educational opportunities, build relationships, and aid the industry. The Foundation provides support through its programs – Employee Training Assistance, Young Professional Development, Mentorship Program, Scholarships, Disaster Relief, and the newest Community Impact Program. The ARA Foundation strives to have a positive influence on the equipment and event rental industry and be recognized as a philanthropic leader.