Scotts Pledges To Help Restore Minnesota Dad's Lawn

Fundraising Tradition Continues for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

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Aug 14, 2012, 07:00 ET

MARYSVILLE, Ohio, Aug. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- For the past three years, Rob Olson has hosted the "Breathe Easy Music Festival," a local Minneapolis summer concert event, held in his backyard, benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). This year's event was canceled when he accidentally killed his 40,000-square-foot lawn with a non-Scotts product. The Scotts Company stepped in and pledged to restore the lawn, hopefully helping bring the "Breathe Easy Music Festival" back to the Olson's backyard in the summer of 2013.

"We empathized with Rob's story when we heard it. To us, he is simply a Dad trying to do the right thing," said Rich Foster, vice president, marketing at Scotts. "With our vast lawn experience, network of leading turf grass experts and the fact that proceeds of the concert go to such a tremendous cause, the decision was simple...help him fix this lawn."

With more than 140 years in the grass seed business, Scotts scientists are developing a restoration plan that fits his lawn and Minnesota weather. Recent consumer research has shown that most homeowners are not aware of how easy it is to maintain well-established grass, so Scotts plans to work closely with Olson on best practices for future lawn care.

"The disappointment I felt in knowing that I would not be able to have our event because of the lawn is beyond words. I can't thank Scotts enough for not only helping with the lawn but to help make it possible to hold an event this year," said Rob Olson. "And to have BRET MICHAELS play an acoustic set for us is amazing! What a blessing in disguise this has all turned out to be."

Since its inception three years ago, the Olson's annual concert has grown to a full day of activities including live music, swimming and games. Both of Olson's children inherited Cystic Fibrosis¹, a chronic disease that impairs the lungs and digestive system, and affects about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). For more information about the "Breathe Easy Music Festival", The Pourhouse venue, or to make a donation online, visit www.cffmusicfest.com.

About ScottsMiracle-Gro

With approximately $3 billion in worldwide sales, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Scotts Company LLC, is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care. The Company's brands are the most recognized in the industry. In the U.S., the Company's Scotts®, Miracle-Gro® and Ortho® brands are market-leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup® brand, which is marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto. In Europe, the Company's brands include Weedol®, Pathclear®, Evergreen®, Levington®, Miracle-Gro®, KB®, Fertiligene® and Substral®. For additional information, visit us at www.scotts.com.

^[1]http://www.cff.org/

SOURCE The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company