Rotary Club sets rose delivery record

Kootenai Health labor and delivery nurses Sue Arnold, Sydnee Ramsey-Rivas, Val Higgins, Karen Harryman, and Melissa Blackwelder receive roses from the Rotary Club Rose Sale Friday.
AUDREY HERRIN/Press

Rotary Club president Ann Thomas lifts a box of roses to be delivered at the Hagadone Events Center Friday morning as part of the Rotary Club Rose Sale.
AUDREY HERRIN/Press

Rotary Rose Sale co-chair Ashley Lenz hands off roses to be delivered on Friday.
AUDREY HERRIN/Press

Boxes of roses are loaded into cars of Rotary members to be delivered around Coeur d'Alene at th Hagadone Events Center Friday morning.
AUDREY HERRIN/Press

by AUDREY HERRIN
Staff Writer | October 24, 2026 1:07 AM

Spirits were high at the Hagadone Events Center on Friday morning as Rotary Club members picked up boxes of roses to deliver across the Coeur d’Alene area.

Co-chairs of the Rotary Rose Sale, Jody Azevedo, Ashley Lenz and Carla Cicero, helped load the boxes into car after car. By the end of the day, they delivered 1,602 dozen roses. The Rotary Rose Sale set another record, surpassing last year’s total of 1,548 dozen roses sold and raising about $50,000.

“This is kind of a Rotary holiday because we get to see the roses across the community, and that’s just really special,” Lenz said.

Some Rotary Club members delivered roses to nonprofit organizations, while others brought them home to give to friends and family. Cicero said she looked forward to delivering roses to her neighbors that afternoon.

“The ladies in my neighborhood get so excited,” she said, “it's a beautiful thing to watch.”

Seasoned Rotary Club member Jon Butler picked up 25 dozen roses to deliver to his staff and friends.

“I look forward to it because everyone gets excited about it,” said Butler. “We do it every year and it's for a great cause, a lot of students get financial support from it.”

Funds raised through the Rose Sale will support student scholarships and grants for nonprofits. Previous recipients have included the Boys & Girls Club, the Museum of North Idaho, Safe Start, Excel Foundation and Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre. Funds raised at this year’s sale will go to a new group of recipients next year.

“It’s giving good, it's spreading joy, and it's helping support other causes in our community,” Cicero said.

Businesses and individuals donated 300 dozen roses to nonprofit organizations this year, including Safe Passages, Habitat for Humanity, Union Gospel Mission and the Post Falls Food Bank. The Boys & Girls Club received 125 dozen roses.

“Our goal is that every kid goes home today with a dozen roses to bring home to their family,” Lenz said.

Rotary Club member Paul Amador picked up 25 dozen roses to deliver to patients and caregivers at Kootenai Health. Chief Nursing Officer Kim Jorgensen helped him fill the arms of hardworking nurses in the Kootenai Health Family Birth Center with red, pink, yellow and orange blooms.

“It is something that will just bring joy to both our patients and our caregivers here at Kootenai Health,” Jorgensen said. “I think flowers just make people smile.”

Kootenai Health labor and delivery nurses Sue Arnold, Sydnee Ramsey-Rivas, Val Higgins, Karen Harryman, and Melissa Blackwelder receive roses from the Rotary Club Rose Sale Friday.

Rotary Club president Ann Thomas lifts a box of roses to deliver to the Hagadone Events Center Friday morning as part of the Rotary Club Rose Sale.

Rotary Rose Sale co-chair Ashley Lenz hands off roses for delivery on Friday.

Rotary members load boxes of roses into cars to deliver around Coeur d'Alene at the Hagadone Events Center Friday morning.

Kootenai Health labor and delivery nurses Sue Arnold, Sydnee Ramsey-Rivas, Val Higgins, Karen Harryman, and Melissa Blackwelder receive roses from the Rotary Club Rose Sale Friday.