Hundreds of floral businesses worldwide – including Gainesville’s Joyce Merck Florist – joined together to spread joy recently through flowers during the Society of American Florists’ (SAF) 10th annual Petal It Forward event.
This year’s initiative saw record-breaking participation, with 706 floral businesses across 49 states, Washington, D.C., and internationally in Ecuador, Colombia, the United Kingdom, and India. This marks a significant increase from last year’s 580 participants, expanding the event’s reach and impact globally, according to the Society of American Florists.
In Gainesville, Joyce Merck Florists handed out bouquets on the downtown square and later outside Chick-fil-A. “It’s been so fun passing out flowers, and it has put a smile on everyone’s face,” the company said in an Instagram post.
Petal It Forward, in which floral businesses give away two bouquets — one for the recipient to keep and another for them to give away — shares the message of how flowers are scientifically proven to help reduce stress and stimulate positive emotions, according to the Society for American Florists.
(Photo courtesy Joyce Merck Florist)