BRAINERD — A brisk Brainerd morning could not stop the smiles brought out by a group of volunteers handing out flowers Wednesday, Oct. 19.
About 20 volunteers with the Horticulture Club from Central Lakes College partnered with Smiles for Jake, CTC and Optimal Yardscapes to hand out 600 bouquets of flowers, said Nicole Atwater, CLC Horticulture Club treasurer and the Petal It Forward treasurer and liaison.
The Horticulture Club at CLC joined thousands of floral industry members in all 50 states who organized their teams on one day in October to take part in Petal It Forward. The goodwill initiative encourages participants to hand two flowers or bouquets to an unsuspecting stranger, urging them to keep one and share the other with someone else.
“I’d seen it last year as a first-year student, and I fell in love with it, so I knew I really wanted to take over,” Atwater said.
The group handed out 600 flowers at CLC, downtown Brainerd and at the northeast Brainerd Cub Foods, distributing 200 bouquets at each location.
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With the group spread around town, smiles were more abundant now that the group was not restricted due to the pandemic.
“With COVID and everything, it was really hard to get it into the community and just kind of go forth with it, and this year it’s really blossomed,” Atwater said.
Getting a set of flowers, CatTale's Books & Gifts’ owner Theresa Woodward paid it forward to her daughter, 8-year-old Phoebe, who received the other bouquet from her mother.
“Yes, I'm very happy to get flowers today,” Phoebe said.
Ashley Dawson, CLC volunteer and member of the CLC Horticulture Club, took part in the event because she loved letting her community know someone cares.
“For me, I'm out here because I really like spreading smiles,” Dawson said. “I know that I've struggled with depression and anxiety, and those sorts of things. So I think it's really important to be able to get out in your community and spread those smiles because you never know who may need it and what kind of change that could bring into their life just by getting a simple smile.”
After trying unsuccessfully to send the flowers through the drive-up window at Bremer Bank on South Seventh Street, volunteers handed consumer banker Michelle Potter her bouquets inside.
“It made my day and I'm going to give the other one to a friend I work with,” Potter said.
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Dawson said not everyone was receptive at first.
“After explaining why we're out and giving out flowers, they changed their mind,” Dawson said.
Andria Strenge was shopping for a new guitar at Bridge of Harmony when volunteers met up with her.
“It's so cool,” Strenge said. “Picking up my new guitar and getting flowers, what a great day.”
With all the flowers handed out, the group met back at the bus, swapping stories of how they brought smiles to people's faces that day.
“You never know who may be having a bad day,” Dawson said. “Just being human and doing small acts of kindness can really change somebody's day and give them a new perspective and really bring them happiness. I think that's what a lot of people forget, we're all here in this community together and we should be there for each other.”
THERESA BOURKE may be reached at theresa.bourke@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa .
TIM SPEIER, staff writer, can be reached on Twitter @timmy2thyme , call 218-855-5859 or email tim.speier@brainerddispatch.com .
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