Pond tour promises hope

July 18, 2008 - PRLog -- C.E. Pontz and HOPE International invite water garden enthusiasts and lovers of nature to come explore the beauty of 15 water gardens located in Lancaster County, PA on Saturday, August 2.  The 3rd Annual Pond Tour, the largest in the state of Pennsylvania, will benefit Lancaster-based HOPE International, a microenterprise development organization that empowers those living in poverty by providing microloans, savings services, training, and mentoring that lead to self-sufficiency.  

Tickets for the all-day event are $10 for adults and free for those under the age of 12, making this a great family activity.  They can be purchased at C.E. Pontz or Patio at Penn Stone, both in Lancaster.  Tour properties are spread throughout the county and include stops in Lititz, Denver, Pequea, and Ephrata.  Tickets can also be purchased on the day of the tour at any of the tour stops.

In the past two years, the tour has raised nearly $2,300 to benefit HOPE’s clients, providing as many as 45 loans that will help impoverished entrepreneurs start or expand their own businesses and provide for their families.  This year, organizers hope to raise over $1,500.    

Modifications for this year’s tour include an evening tour in addition to the daytime tour.  The evening tour will showcase a variety of intricate light features.   The daytime tour will begin at 10am and close at 5pm, with the evening tour to follow, opening at 8pm and closing at 11pm.  

For a list of tour locations, visit www.cepontzsons.com.  For more information on the Pond Tour, please call C.E. Pontz at (717) 394-9923.  

C.E. Pontz Sons is both a residential and commercial landscape design and installation service.   The company has been serving Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Harrisburg, Chester and Berks and many other surrounding counties since 1934.

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About HOPE International: HOPE International empowers those living in need around the world to escape poverty by providing microloans, savings services, training, and mentoring to help people become self-sufficient. Working in 12 of the poorest, least-served countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Caribbean, HOPE is a Christian faith-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on alleviating the many dimensions of poverty – physical, social, and spiritual – through microenterprise development.