Selling around 1,000 hanging flower baskets, ARCH Hospice return to their in-person fundraiser for the first time since the pandemic, allowing residents to pick out their own flowers
The John Rhodes Community Centre parking lot was a busy spot Saturday morning as ARCH Hospice returned with its annual Flower Sale fundraiser.
The smell of mixed geranium and Rieger begonias filled the air as dozens of residents swung by Elizabeth Street to pick out their pre-purchased flower baskets.
Selling around 1,000 baskets and raising over $10,000 this year, ARCH spokesperson and event coordinator Julie Premo says this is the first time since before the pandemic that locals could actually come by to pick out their own flowers.
“This year is really exciting for us because this is the first time we can engage with our supporters, hear their stories, why they support ARCH, and what it means to them,” she says.
“It’s also grown a lot over the years. This is our first year back post-COVID. We delivered during the time of the pandemic to keep the fundraising going because it was so difficult to fundraise during COVID times.”
Purchasing the baskets from an out-of-town greenhouse, ARCH’s Flower Sale is one of their longest-running fundraisers, dating back to before the hospice was built in 2008.
Premo was joined by 20 volunteers and several staff members from ARCH to make Saturday’s event possible, and she was pleased to see all the happy faces on what turned out to be a beautiful start to the weekend.
“At the end of the day, they walk away with a beautiful basket,” she says. “It may be in memory of a loved one, or it may be something to just brighten their day. Us having the chance to be here to help them pick it out and have that time connecting is really important to us.”
The $10,000 raised from the Flower Sale will help ARCH chase their annual goal of $850,000 – the minimum required to keep the hospice running.