Carrie Moore, AAF, of Jenny’s Floral in Custer, South Dakota, was featured on a live news segment for her Petal It Forward event.
Carrie Moore’s store, Jenny’s Floral, is a 45-mile drive from Rapid City, South Dakota, but that didn’t stop an ABC affiliate morning news crew from coming to feature her efforts during last week’s Petal It Forward event.
The reporter, one Moore had worked with previously, arrived at the Custer, South Dakota shop at 6 a.m. on Oct. 17 for a two-minute live interview about the Society of American Florists’ ninth annual flower giveaway. While Moore jokes that she is normally sleeping at that hour, she says she was more than happy to open her doors early to the media for the publicity.
“I always try and say ‘yes’ to things,” she says. “It was really important for my business and the flower industry. With all the cities around me, I was grateful that they would come to my store.”
During the interview, Moore cheerfully explained the event, mentioning not only SAF’s involvement, but also thanking her flower wholesaler, North American Wholesale in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Syndicate Sales, which provided free bud vases for florists participating in Petal It Forward.
Moore is just one of many florists who managed to catch the attention of the media for the Oct. 18 Petal It Forward event. The publicity not only provided the community with information on the event, but also served as a great marketing campaign for florists seeking to solidify their reputations in the community and appeal to a broader customer base.
The Record-Courier newspaper in Ravenna, Ohio, captured the smiles of Kent State University students receiving bouquets from Smithers-Oasis’ Petal It Forward event. “It was a great day…actually the one sunny day we’ve had, and the Kent State students and residents really enjoyed the opportunity to Petal It Forward,” says Anne Stewart, vice president of Smithers-Oasis North America.
George’s Flowers in Roanoke, Virginia, passed out 7,000 bouquets and captured the attention of multiple media outlets including WDBJ7, WSLS and WFXRTV. “Flowers feed the soul. Flowers make people happy,” owner George Clements told WDBJ in the same segment that also featured SAF CEO Kate Penn explaining the origin of the event.
CBS affiliate KDKA News in Pittsburgh covered McCandless Floral’s and Flowerama’s Petal It Forward efforts. “I’ve seen so many good things and positive things come from flowers,” McCandless Floral owner and president Janet Wolosyzk says in the segment. “Whether that be a celebration of life to represent a person or just giving somebody a good feeling, it makes a big difference.”
The owner of Raimondi’s Florist in Owings Mills, Maryland was live on Fox 45 News Good Day Baltimore show to explain its giveaway of 4,000 roses, six to every customer that came to the store, one for them to keep and five to give away. “This is a day that we want to bring joy,” said owner Paul Raimondi.
Nanz & Kraft Florists in Louisville, Kentucky, received attention for handing out 500 sunflowers during Petal It Forward. Spectrum News 1 shared information about the day and the store’s long history in the community. WDRB also provided extensive coverage of the day’s giveaway. “We’ve had a lot of very happy people today,” David Kraft, a sixth-generation florist, told the Spectrum News reporter.
A TV reporter tagged along with David Kraft of Nanz & Kraft Florists in Louisville, Kentucky, as he handed out sunflowers during the store’s Petal It Forward event.
CBS Sacramento KMAX31 GoodDay, the NBC affiliate KCRA and the Sacramento News and Review covered Relles Florist’s participation in Petal It Forward in Sacramento, California. “Our business is modeled around bringing joy to peoples’ lives with flowers,” owner Jim Relles told the Sacramento News.
Fox 22 WFVX and CBS’s WABI 5 covered Bangor Floral’s event in Bangor, Maine. “You don’t know what someone’s going through when they’re walking down the street, they’re in their heads, they’re looking forward,” owner Joseph Langlois told FOX 22. “The minute you approach them with flowers, their face just lights up. That smile is worth the effort.”
In Eugene, Oregon, Flowers by Taby received attention from the ABC affiliate, KEZI. “It’s just a really positive action, when you’re giving to somebody and then they’re giving,” owner Tabitha Phifer told the ABC affiliate.
Eyewitness News WBRE/WYOU featured the day’s flower distribution by Your Beautiful Flowers in Scranton, Pennsylvania. “I never get free flowers! This is awesome,” a passerby told owner Aimee Walker.
The Hardy Geranium Floral and Gift Shop got the message of flowers spreading kindness across in a story on the ABC 6 News in Minnesota. “Flowers are the best way to remind people there’s still kindness in this world,” owner Vicki Trimble told ABC 6 News.
Sarah Sampson is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.