This year, more than ever, we felt the need to uplift our community after the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. So many have faced immense hardship, and we wanted to bring a bit of brightness to those most affected. The Society of American Florists Petal it Forward initiative gave us the perfect opportunity to give back and share the power of flowers to spread joy and kindness when needed the most.
This was a fantastic bonding experience for our entire team! On Tuesday, October 15th, we received 170 stunning bouquets from our partners at Jet Fresh. The whole Details team got involved in processing the flowers, and for those of us who had never done it before, it was an eye-opening experience!
On Petal It Forward Day, our CEO Corrine Heck spoke at One Million Cups Daytona Beach, held at the Cinematique Theatre. One Million Cups is a program designed to educate and connect local entrepreneurs. It’s based on the idea that entrepreneurs can benefit from gathering over coffee to share ideas and experiences. Held weekly in various cities, the event provides a supportive environment where entrepreneurs can present their businesses, network, and receive feedback from the community, including peers and experienced professionals.
We took the remaining bouquets through Daytona and Ormond Beach, sharing kindness with strangers, local businesses, and first responders who worked tirelessly over the past few weeks. Seeing the joy on people's faces when they received the flowers was incredibly rewarding. Some even paid it forward after we spoke with them! It was heartwarming to witness the ripple effect of the Petal It Forward initiative, and we hope our small contribution helped brighten the day for those we encountered.
If you are interested in participating next year, please follow along on SAF's social media and website for updates throughout the year! They provide so many assets for members to use to help promote the event, which made it easy for us to prepare for our participation.
We are incredibly grateful to be part of such a meaningful industry, especially through an initiative that has brought so much joy to the world over the past decade. Here's to many more years of Petal it Forward!