Floral industry honors fallen soldiers with Memorial Day Flowers program
Floral industry honors fallen soldiers with Memorial Day Flowers program
Hundreds of volunteers, including Boy Scouts, firefighters, florists and other supporters, joined together for the fifth consecutive Memorial Day to honor the nation’s fallen heroes by placing over 120,000 roses on graves at Arlington National Cemetery. Robin Penaherrera, founder of the Memorial Day Flowers Foundation, told The Produce News that the Arlington event had many more sponsors this year.the
Stephen Armellini, president at Armellini Express Lines in Palm City, FL, delivered Memorial Day Flowers from Miami and helped place roses on headstones at Arlington National Cemetery.“I was excited by the involvement of so many sectors of the industry — the participation just kept growing,” said Penaherrera. “The ANC event incorporated all the links in the floral chain — growers, cargo agencies, airlines, Miami importers, Armellini Logistics, wholesale florists, associations (CalFlowers, Expoflores, Asocolflores) and even government (ProEcuador).”
Penaherrera added that 15 wholesale florists across the country supplied flowers for over 150 of their retail florists to decorate graves throughout the United States.
“The supreme sacrifice of our military and their families could never be repaid,” said Penaherrera in a news release. “We want to tell the families of these heroes that the loss of their loved one was not in vain. We’d like to honor those who willingly served, and in some cases, gave their lives for our country.”
Foundation director Johan Sohn of Miami flower importer Solé Farms said in the release, “As a South Korean-born, who has lived in the United States for the last 30 years, and is now a proud American, I am forever grateful for the involvement of the U.S. military during the Korean War, and the opportunity and freedom my native country enjoys today. Additionally, having committed many years to the flower industry through my work, this event validates that a simple rose can make a huge impact on someone, and shows that flowers are great way of expressing our feelings.”
Plans are already being made for next year’s Memorial Day Flowers event and Penaherrera hopes that some supermarket florists will join in. “This is an inclusive program,” Penaherrera told The Produce News. “All florists, wholesalers and growers are invited to participate.”
