A Dublin flower shop is making sure some elderly people and veterans know how much they are appreciated, and what better way to show that than with a smile and bouquet of fresh flowers?
It’s been a busy week for Classic Florist and Home Decor in Dublin because they have spent hours arranging 285 surprise bouquets to deliver to some elderly people and veterans as part of Teleflora's 17th Annual Make Someone Smile Week.
Randy Stone says the shop started participating seven years ago, but after the first year, it really blossomed.
"It's just such a rewarding experience to be able to go out to the nursing homes -- and especially to the VA -- and share flowers with people that don't normally get flowers on a daily basis or people that never get flowers. We have some people that when we take them in they say, ‘Are those really for me?’ We say, 'Of course they are for you,'” said Stone.
The flower shop says the mugs were donated to them by Teleflora and the flowers and foliage were donated by two wholesale shops in Macon and Perry.
Maryalice Morro, the director of the Carl Vinson VA, says she’s had the pleasure of being present for the event three years in a row.
"It literally puts a smile on the veterans’ faces. They come in these beautiful bright cheerful containers with a big happy face on them. Who doesn't like to get fresh flowers?” said Morro.
World War II veteran Lester Porter says he used to enjoy getting them from his garden.
"My wife was a flower lady. I was digging them up every morning,” said Porter.
But this time, he is on the receiving end and getting flowers to thank him for his sacrifice.
"If you could hear the experiences that these men have had, to have somebody recognize what they have done and go through the trouble to do something nice for them like these pretty flowers, I think it's great,” said Porter.
It’s the appreciation the flower shop says they were hoping to deliver and something the veterans say they are glad to receive.
Make Someone Smile Week will be going on through this Saturday.