BISBEE — Premier Alliances, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is improving the lives of people with disabilities, has been awarded a $50,000 Innovation grant from the Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona in support of its therapeutic garden project. Construction of The Founders Garden is expected to break ground in 2020.

Dedicated to the founding members of Premier Alliances, the Founders Garden is a 30,000-square-foot therapeutic space on the nonprofit’s campus in Bisbee, designed to promote the healing aspects of nature in a calm, controlled, and accessible space for individuals with additional needs, and the general public.

Designed by Norris Design Group of Tucson with input from community stakeholders, the Founders Garden was crafted to serve as a space for Premier Alliances’ employees and community partners—including hospitals, nonprofits, and like-minded organizations—to incorporate into their services plans for individual and group therapy, day programs, and other forms of healing.

The Founders Garden features wide, paved accessible pathways winding through natural experiences focused on sound, touch, and fragrance, with elements such as a water feature and other considerations designed to promote interaction, healing, and wellness. A portion of the garden featuring greenhouses and raised garden beds will be used to create horticultural therapy programs to be incorporated into the service plans and day programs of partnering organizations serving individuals with additional needs.

The generous financial support of the Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona—a charitable organization whose philanthropic mission is to promote population health and community wellness throughout Southeast Arizona—serves as an acknowledgement that the Founders Garden has the potential to promote wellness throughout Cochise County.

“We are very grateful to receive this generous grant from the Legacy Foundation, and for their recognition that the Founders Garden, as a place of healing for all people, will provide a benefit for the community for years to come,” said John Charley, CEO of Premier Alliances.

Margaret Hepburn, CEO of the Legacy Foundation, said “The Legacy Foundation was impressed by this proposed community project and wanted to assist Premier Alliances, Inc. in its development. Projects like this significantly contribute to holistic healthy communities. We will follow the progress with great interest.”