Sat, May 2, 2026 at 3:14 AM UTC
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Fashions at the Kentucky Derby inspired the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Erie County Botanical Gardens on Friday.
The annual Botanical Bash raises funds for the gardens to add onto their lush campus. On Friday, guests raised funds for the annual Mission Project, which centers around the gardens’ apiary to add four new beehives to their farm garden.
Leaders said the fundraiser helps sustain their efforts to give back to the Western New York community.
“Our farm garden is an annual thing that we do seasonally where we grow fresh produce for Gerard Place, which is on the east side of Buffalo,” said Erin Grajek, president and CEO of Erie County Botanical Gardens. “We donate all thousands of pounds and thousands of servings to our friends over there and their community and all of their programs, and we’re really proud of that initiative, and our bees will help us pollinate all the food that we all eat every single day.”
The gardens introduced bees to their apiary in 2023.
Latest Local News
Gabriella Baiano has been a digital producer with WIVB since November 2025. View more of her work here.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.