PHOENIX (AP) - The Arizona Sikh Community has donated 550 trees to low-income Phoenix neighborhoods.
Local Sikh leaders gathered Sunday with Mayor Kate Gallego and other officials for a tree dedication ceremony.
Planting of elm, Arizona ash and other drought resistant trees has already started in some downtown neighborhoods.
The gift worth about $68,000 is part of a worldwide observance of the birth anniversary of Sikh religion founder Guru Nanak, who was born in 1469. There were similar tree-planting campaigns in countries including Germany, Canada and Myanmar earlier this year.
More trees are especially welcome in Phoenix, which suffers from an urban heat island effect that raises already high temperatures in areas covered by heat-retaining asphalt and concrete.
Phoenix has planted thousands of trees in recent years in hopes of offsetting the effects.
