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'A whole town covered in roses'

| October 20, 2018 1:00 AM

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Over 1,300 bouquets of roses were delivered on Friday throughout the community by Coeur d'Alene Rotary Club members as a symbol of kindness. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)

By DEVIN WEEKS

Staff Writer

The 1,369 bouquets of roses that were delivered throughout the community on Friday were more than just flowers.

They were symbols of love, gestures of friendship and reminders that even when you’re feeling down and alone, someone out there is thinking about you.

“It just makes us all feel so beautiful,” said Union Gospel Mission resident Noella Stewart.

The ladies of UGM received 21 bouquets during the Coeur d’Alene Rotary Club’s 29th annual Rotary Rose Sale delivery day. Some of the girls hugged each other as they accepted the flowers or closed their eyes and grinned as they buried their noses in the fragrant petals and inhaled deeply.

“It’s cool that they donate them to us because we don’t get to enjoy stuff like this,” said UGM resident Taryn Woodward-Hill. “It’s something so beautiful that they are just giving us. We don’t get to look at a beautiful bouquet of flowers very often.”

The UGM Center for Women and Children in Coeur d’Alene is a safe and healing shelter for those experiencing abuse, homelessness, poverty, addiction and domestic violence. It’s a place where women are striving to improve their lives, a many times difficult and isolating process where a little bit of positivity goes a long way.

“To know that someone else is thinking of us, not just of themselves, but to give back to a great organization like this that is working for the benefit of those that are in need, it’s nice to know that other people are thinking of us,” said resident Amber Turner, adding that the roses made her feel “very blessed.”

Community members purchased 155 dozen roses — twice as many as last year — that were sent to 10 area nonprofits, including UGM, Trinity Group Homes, Safe Passage Violence Prevention Center and Hospice of North Idaho.

UGM community engagement coordinator Linda Cook said the takeaway from this act of kindness is that “we’re situated in a heroic community that makes it possible for us to touch lives.”

“This is a very good visual that tells you the generosity of this community,” she said. “It’s like a whole town covered in roses.”

Rotarian Mark Tucker delivered the roses to UGM after he helped prepare the flowers for delivery when they arrived at the Hagadone Event Center early that morning.

He said, as one can imagine, it’s exciting to be present when the roses are delivered.

“It’s the kind of thing that doesn’t happen enough, which still makes it special,” he said. “To see the volume of it and think about the volume of smiles that are going to be out there today is just amazing.”

Every fall, Rotary announces a different theme to get its members motivated to get out and sell as many bouquets as possible. The 2018 Rose Sale brought in more than $48,000, breaking the club’s sale record for the eighth consecutive year.

As well as being thoughtful gifts, the roses also represent the selfless work conducted by Rotary members to benefit their community. As usual, funds from the sale will be used to support local causes and charities through grants and scholarship programs.

Coeur d’Alene Rotary has raised and reinvested $864,000 since the sale’s inception in 1996.