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About Us
After receiving approval from the town, donations were solicited, and lilacs were purchased and planted at the cemetery. There was great interest and support from the people of Salisbury and surrounding towns, and enough donations were received to be able to plant lilacs at other places. Lilacs were planted at other cemeteries in town, and other municipal locations are being considered. Homeowners expressed interest, and many people began purchasing their own lilacs through the Katie Bentley Lilac Project to plant at their houses. Interest in the project continued to grow. The New Hampshire Governor’s Lilac and Wildflower Commission supported the project, and donated some lilacs to plant at municipal locations. Members of the International Lilac Society were very helpful in choosing different varieties that would be well suited to cemetery plantings. The pre-school that Katie attended installed a granite bench in her memory, and embraced the idea of planting lilacs in the garden area near the bench and at other locations at the school. A mural was painted on the library ceiling, depicting lilacs on the school grounds. As more people became interested, it became clear that the Katie Bentley Lilac Project was an idea that would work anywhere. John’s alma maters expressed interest, and one of them has started to plant lilacs on campus. Area businesses have planted lilacs, and many homeowners are now part of the project. In the fall of 2009, John formed a non-profit entity called the Katie Bentley Memorial Charity. It is currently recognized by the State of NH, and IRS approval as a 501-c-3 is pending. In this way, monies received can be recognized as tax exempt. All money received as a donation has been used to purchase lilacs, and those lilacs have been planted on public land. Lilacs planted on private land have been paid for by the homeowner. If you would like to make a donation, please visit the donations page. The primary goal of the Katie Bentley Lilac Project is to promote the planting of lilacs. While the project does offer select cultivars of lilacs for sale, lilac sales are not the primary focus. The Katie Bentley Lilac Project encourages those with an interest in lilacs to start a lilac planting project in their area. We can help with organization and fundraising, and create a project tailored to your specific needs. There is no fee for consultation on developing a lilac project. If you love lilacs, contact John Bentley to find out how to start a lilac planting project in your area. |
The Katie Bentley Lilac Project was founded on Memorial Day, 2009, in Salisbury, NH, by John and Cheryl Bentley. Their daughter Katie died in 2007 at age four, and her parents wanted to have flowers in bloom near her gravesite for Memorial Day each year. It was decided that lilacs would be a good choice for a hardy, low maintenance shrub that would bloom near that day each year.