The Event: Sometimes when bad things happen to good people, compassion inspires great things. On Jan. 27, 102 supporters, sponsors and those enchanted by the mission came to celebrate the first anniversary of Random Acts of Flowers in Chicago. Held at the Maclean Collection library in Lake Forest, the event served as a donor cultivation event and to introduce RAF to Chicago.
Cause Célebre: “Many organizations start from families with an affinity for sharing moments of kindness and compassion. (Founder) Larsen Jay was passionate about giving flowers to people who don’t otherwise have them,” explained Joanie Bayhack of Wilmette, executive director.
After a devastating fall from a ladder in 2007, Jay’s hospital room was flooded with flowers. Wanting to share his bounty, Jay wheeled his bouquets to other patients, and worked out the idea for what, in 2008, would become RAF. Today, RAF has locations in Knoxville, Tenn., Pinellas County, Fla., Silicon Valley, Calif., and Chicago.
“There are people in nursing homes or veterans hospitals, sometimes for 20 years. They don’t have flowers; they’ve lost family; they don’t have a visitor even so it’s very emotional to go on these deliveries,” said Bayhack.
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RAF gets unwanted flowers from a variety of venues and facilities. Their volunteers then deconstruct the bouquets and create new arrangements, using donated vases from church drives, schools, etc. To date, RAF has kept more than 100,000 vases out of landfills nationally.
“I personally have seen what (RAF) can do,” said Robert Apatoff of Winnetka, RAF partner and CEO of FTD Companies Worldwide. “There are a lot of people who need a pick-me-up… who don’t have…family and they shouldn’t be without the simple pleasures of life and the love that flowers bring.”
Bottom Line: The event raised $5,000 for RAF. See randomactsofflowers.org