Updated 7-25-19 1:03 p.m.
CULLMAN, Ala. – The residents and staff of The Folsom Center were all smiles Wednesday after receiving surprise gifts from Cullman Florist. For the second year, Cullman Florist participated in Teleflora’s Make Someone Smile Week. Florists Stephanie Cook and Carla Fussell, along with a group of young volunteers, personally delivered the arrangements to each resident.
Fussell explained how Cullman Florist got involved in the national event, saying, “Teleflora has an education unit for each state. We do programs to provide education for florists. Also, once a year they do this where they donate the mugs and we donate the time and product. Some of our wholesalers will donate things. We do Make Someone Smile Week and our program this year will be in Mobile.”
The program in Mobile is an educational meeting for florists to learn new styles and techniques. Fussell has served as the president of the Teleflora Alabama State Educational Unit for the past two years.
She said, “We’ve only been on the board for two years so we’ve only done this for that long. We did arrangements last year and we did some arrangements and some plants. We found that people wanted plants.”
Cook said Cullman Florist gave out more than 300 arrangements Wednesday afternoon. Besides The Folsom Center, staff members from Good Samaritan Health Clinic and Associated Medical Specialties each received a plant. Plants were also delivered to The Cullman Tribune staff.
Added Cook, “We really enjoy doing this. These plants are very easy for folks to take care of. They just need a little bit of water.”
This year’s plants were dieffenbachia, presented in sunny yellow smiley face mugs. Each came with a balloon attached and a card.
Cook and Fussell had a lot of help from a group of teen volunteers from West Point. Barbara Buettner was sitting with her friends in the hallway watching an old black and white movie when the teens rounded the corner with the arrangements. She was thrilled to see the visitors and couldn’t stop smiling.
“Oooh, how pretty! That is so pretty. Thank you so much. That’s beautiful!” Mary Jo Gerstman said as she received her arrangement.
The visit left the rooms and hallways of The Folsom Center full of happy chatter, vivid color and countless smiles.
Florists across the country will be participating in Make Someone Smile Week 2019. Cullman and Mobile are participating in Alabama, but Fussell said she hopes more will join in next year.
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