1,000 Roses, 1,000 Smiles: How A West Virginia Florist Spread Love In A Day

October 17, 2024

On October 16, Parkersburg, West Virginia, was blooming with kindness as Obermeyer’s Florist handed out 1,000 roses to brighten the day of local residents.

In celebration of National Petal It Forward Day, an initiative by the Society of American Florists, the floral shop went above and beyond to spread joy throughout the community.

Obermeyer's Florist / Facebook

National Petal It Forward Day encourages florists across the country to give two flowers or bouquets to unsuspecting strangers—one for them to keep and the other to share with someone else.

This year marked the ninth year of the initiative, which spans all 50 states, but Obermeyer’s Florist added a special touch by distributing 1,000 roses, each with a heartfelt card that read, "Hope this flower puts a smile on your face and love in your heart."

Florist team members traveled to several locations around Parkersburg, including hospitals, grocery stores, and local assisted living and nursing homes, to hand out the roses. Every person who received two roses was encouraged to keep one and gift the other to someone else, spreading joy like petals in the wind.

"Here at Obermeyer's this is truly one of the best days of the year for us," the flower shop shared on Facebook.

Obermeyer's Florist, founded in 1899 by Gustovias Obermeyer, has a rich legacy in Parkersburg. Now owned and operated by the Perkins family, they are the fourth family to carry on the shop's long-standing tradition of bringing beauty and joy to the community.