![](https://giecdn.blob.core.windows.net/fileuploads/image/2025/02/13/beacon_impatiens.png)
PanAmerican Seed has announce the charities it will support for the 2025 gardening season through its brand of Beacon Impatiens.
This year, the company will partner with two organizations that enrich the lives of children and adults with life-limiting conditions.
The first is esp Inc., formerly Extra Special People Inc., a Georgia (U.S.) nonprofit that creates transformative experiences for people with disabilities and their families. Donations to esp fund scholarships, programs, activities and employment opportunities through coffee shop Java Joy.
The second is Greenfingers Charity, which is dedicated to supporting life-limited children and their families who spend time in hospices around the U.K. by creating gardens and outdoor spaces for them to enjoy time outside away from the bedside. Greenfingers Charity has created almost 70 gardens in children’s hospices and has a waiting list of hospices seeking gardens.
“PanAmerican Seed is proud to work with and support these two charities through our Beacon Impatiens outreach in 2025. They both represent the power of overcoming life’s obstacles through a collaborative community effort,” said Sarah Makiejus, global marketing manager for PanAmerican Seed. “The charities’ approaches to enjoying life through nature and enriching experiences are concepts we can absolutely get behind; plants are more than pretty, and they’re so essential to our well-being.”
“At esp, no individual is turned away due to their disability or inability to pay. Beacon Impatiens will make that possible. The generous donation will provide scholarships, ensuring a community of belonging for every individual we serve,” said Laura Hope Whitaker, esp CEO & Java Joy co-founder. “Because of Beacon Impatiens, we can create life-changing experiences, offer support and provide purpose for all.”
“We are enormously grateful to PanAmerican Seed for supporting the work we do in children’s hospices,” said Linda Petrons, director of fundraising and communications for Greenfingers Charity. “This generous support will help to ensure more life-limited children, families and carers will be able to create precious memories in Greenfingers gardens.”
Beacon Impatiens is a series of I. walleriana with high resistance to impatiens downy mildew. PanAmerican Seed has committed to donating to a new charity each year.
Beyond the monetary donations at the completion of the 2025 season, PanAmerican Seed will participate in hands-on fundraising by joining collaborative events with esp and Greenfingers. It will also build awareness for their causes through Beacon’s social media channels and website, as well as through customer and media relations.
Now in its sixth year of charitable giving, past charities PanAmerican Seed has supported include The OI Foundation in 2020 (supporting those with osteogensis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease); the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation and the Longfibrose patiëntenvereniging (English: Dutch Association of Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients) in 2021 (supporting those with familial pulmonary fibrosis); the Spectrios Institute for Low Vision and the Macular Society in 2022 (supporting those with low vision issues and macular degeneration); the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance and the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Association in 2023 (supporting those with Friedreich’s ataxia, a degenerative neuro-muscular disorder); and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in 2024 (supporting those with multiple scleorosis).
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