Memorial Day Flowers Foundation 2018

by Johan Sohn, Sole Farms

Mdff 1 Memorial Day Flowers began in 2011 with 10,000 roses handed out at the Arlington National Cemetery Welcome Center. Now in its 8th year, 42 cemeteries participated in a Memorial Day Flowers 2018 event. Another 130 retailers across the country handed out roses to their communities, including 31 Mayesh Wholesale retail customers.

The Memorial Day Flowers Foundation has brought everyone together for a great cause. This is the only floral event that includes all segments of the flower industry. Colombian, Ecuadorian, Californian and Ethiopian growers, cargo airlines, freight forwarders, trucking companies, importers, and wholesale florists work together to make this memorable event possible. The two major Associations, CalFlowers and Asocoflores, continue to provide valuable support. ProEcuador, the export promotion arm of the Ecuadorian government has been the sponsor stalwart. The Boy Scouts of America work relentlessly in many cemeteries.

Bouquet Collection, Kendal-Florexpo, and Queen’s Group’s 7000 Logistics coordinate processing of the flowers and consolidating over 300,000 stems of roses from the growers and Miami Importers. Multiple wholesalers provide critical last-leg delivery of flowers to cemeteries.

Mdff 3 The Memorial Day Flowers Foundation is a non-profit (501 (c)(3) organization that promotes use of flowers to express gratitude for those who sacrificed their lives protecting our country and to show their remaining family members that their loved ones will never be forgotten. More than 5,000 volunteers placed a single rose at each headstones at National and Local cemeteries. As families and friends enter the cemetery, a sea of stunning colorful roses and other focal flowers provide comfort and peace that words can’t describe. It’s a touching and heartfelt moment for all and a reminder that we work with fascinating product.

As someone who imports and distributes flowers, and as a director of the Foundation, this event constantly shows me the full impact a single flower can make. Flowers are an emotional product that eclipse any other to show one's feelings. It brightens anyone’s mood, whether you are receiving or giving. Flowers provide a tool to show one’s gratitude whether you know the recipient or not. Memorial Day, which began as Decoration Day, is a perfect day for flowers.

Mdff 4 Our goal is to have a flower on every headstone of each of our heroes in cemeteries around the country on Memorial Day.