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Volunteers ensure flowers get 2nd chance to brighten someone’s day (WTHR, 2.20.2020)

“Have you ever wondered where Valentine’s Day flowers go when they aren’t sold? This is it. Random Acts of Flowers is where flowers go to get a second chance.

“These are really good flowers that would normally go into the trash,” said volunteer Amber Livers.

Thanks to 400 volunteers like Amber, they have a second chance to make someone’s day.

Random Acts of Flowers has made 75,000 deliveries since late 2016.

“Whenever volunteers come in, this is the first thing they check. Where are they going? How many do we need and where do the flowers come from? The bottom line is what really matters. We would not exist without our awesome floral partners here in the city,” said Lindsay Potter, program director.

Between 300 and 500 bouquets are shipped out a small building on the near north side every week.”

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What happens to the Valentine’s Day flowers that don’t get sold? (CNN, 2.15.2020)

Valentine’s Day represents different things to different people: Love, consumerism, chocolate for breakfast. But for the floral industry, it’s essentially a national holiday — and demand is higher than ever.

Flower business booms during Valentine’s season: Of the millions of Americans predicted to spend $24.7 billion on Valentine’s Day gifts this year, about 37% of them will buy flowers.

 

This year, Latam Cargo told CNN it flew more than 12,600 tons of flowers grown in Colombia and Ecuador around the US, Australia and Europe — a 45% higher amount than in 2019.

But of all the millions of buds and blooms that flooded florists and grocery stores this Valentine’s Day, not all of them ended up in someone’s living room. What happens to the bouquets that don’t make the cut?

READ THE FULL STORY HERE