Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County, and
Wellington Florist Join Nationwide Effort to ‘Petal It Forward’
Team will Spread Smiles and Stress Relief, Two Bouquets at a Time
WELLINGTON, FL (October 14, 2024)— On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County and Wellington Florist will join dozens of floral industry businesses nationwide to surprise unsuspecting passersby in Wellington and West Palm Beach with two free flower bouquets each — one to keep and one to give to a friend, family member, colleague, or even a stranger. The random-acts-of-kindness effort — called Petal It Forward and organized by the Society of American Florists (SAF), of which Wellington Florist is a member — is designed to help people start their day with more smiles and less stress. The effort illustrates research from the University of North Florida (UNF) that shows living with flowers reduces stress.
“Petal It Forward is the floral industry’s way of giving back,” said Elizabeth Daly, SAF’s manager of marketing and communications, citing the effort was purposefully planned for a Wednesday to help the mid-week slump. J.P. Varvarigos, owner of Wellington Florist, wanted to be a part of the mood-boosting effort and make a difference in the community. He also wanted to be a part of this effort with a local nonprofit- Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County- to assist in this random-acts-of-kindness effort.
“We see the positive impact day in and day out when we make our flower deliveries,” said J.P. Varvarigos FSMD, Owner of Wellington Florist. “People love to get flowers ‘just because’ so we wanted to create random smiles today and give people a chance to do the same for someone else.”
“Through the positive effects of flowers, we hope to make someone’s day brighter, and provide a much-needed moment of calm amidst the hectic pace of life,” he added.
The research findings on flowers and stress relief, and the need for mood-boosting gestures, seem timely: A survey by Wakefield Research in July showed that 68 percent of Americans experience stress weekly, and 32 percent report feeling stressed daily. Women are even more affected, with 25 percent reporting feeling stress multiple times a day.
Varvarigos says the original idea behind Petal It Forward’s ‘keep one, share one’ concept, which started in 2015, came after looking at statistics that showed while 80 percent of people reported receiving flowers makes them happy, even more (88 percent) said that giving flowers makes them happy. “We want to give people the chance to experience both,” said Varvarigos.
Julia Murphy, Chief Development Officer at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County, shares, “We are excited to be a part of this nationwide event to help brighten the day of people in our community. Our Habitat team will hand out 2,000 flowers donated by Wellington Florist throughout the day all over our county.”
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office will also give away 300 roses from Wellington Florist in front of the Palm Beach County Courthouse, and the Wellington Rotary Club will pass out 500 flowers in the Wellington area. A total of 3,000 flowers will be given away by Wellington Florist during Petal It Forward.
If you do receive flowers from the Habitat team, take pictures and videos of your arrangements and event day happenings to post on your social media channels. Use #PetalItForward and tag @SocietyofAmericanFlorists<https://www.facebook.com/SocietyofAmericanFlorists> on Instagram and Facebook so SAF can help maximize reach.
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About Wellington Florist:
Wellington Florist has been proudly serving Wellington and the Palm Beaches since 1991. A local family-owned business, it was voted BEST FLORIST in Palm Beach County four years in a row, 2021-2024. Third-generation owner and operator J.P. Varvarigos and their 25-person crew are committed to offering only the finest floral, plant, and orchid arrangements, backed by detail-oriented and dependable service. They deliver same-day throughout Palm Beach County, and all of their arrangements come with our seven-day guarantee. To learn more visit wellingtonflorist.com/
About Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County:
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County is a 501©(3) organization and an affiliate of a global nonprofit, Habitat for Humanity International. Our mission is to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Since 1986, we have built 431 new homes, revitalized 757 existing homes, and partnered with over 1,180 families and individuals in need of safe, decent, and affordable housing in Palm Beach County. Habitat homeowners apply to qualify for the program, then help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering, and shopping or donating to any of our five ReStore-Thrift Store & Donation centers, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To discover more, visit www.habitatgreaterpbc.org and follow us online at @HabitatGPBC.
About the Society of American Florists
The Society of American Florists is the national trade association to the floral industry, representing growers, wholesalers, retailers, suppliers, importers, educators, designers and allied organizations.