Annual FBLA carnation sale spreads kindness

Meyersdale Area School District › | Posted on Mar 8, 2022

Members of the Meyersdale Area High School Future Business Leaders of America recently held their annual Valentine’s Day Carnation Sale. The following members, (from left); sold, sorted and wrapped nearly 500 carnations: (seated) Avery Logsdon, Morgan Walters, Zoe Hetz, Maci Moore and Allyson Gray; and (back row) Shelby Deal, Madi Porter, Amelia Kretchman, Mahley Knopsnyder, Izabella Donaldson and Bradin Schrock.

The proverb “absence makes the heart grow fonder” has certainly proven true for the annual FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) Valentine’s Day Carnation Sale. This year’s sale was a happy return for both the club and the recipients and senders of the annual carnation sale. Last year’s sale was suspended due to the pandemic.

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade purchased over 500 carnations for their classmates, family and friends. These lovely shows of love were wrapped and delivered on February 11. Carnations were offered in four colors – red, white, pink and yellow. Mrs. Chris Custer serves as the advisor for the FBLA and has been supervising this event for more than 20 years. She said sales were much lower than previous years.

Custer said this sale is enjoyed by club members and has become a tradition of sorts for members and the entire district.

“Our students missed having this sale and we were so glad to be able to sell and deliver the carnations,” Custer explained.

Organizing the annual sale is both time consuming and requires hours of work and preparation. Members began working on this project months ago, contacting local florists to place the initial order. Posters and flyers were created to advertise the sale throughout the district. Once orders were placed, members tallied the totals and recorded all information on spreadsheets. Careful bookkeeping and record-keeping is a key aspect of this annual project, to ensure that every “someone special” received their flower.

Madi Porter said the sale is something she really missed last year and was excited to bring it back this year.

“I really enjoy this sale and I think it’s cool that we can bring this to our whole school and see how happy it makes our classmates,” Porter explained.

Club President Zoe Hetz said this is the first year she has been involved in the sale and though it was a lot of work, it proved to be both fun and educational.

“To see how excited everyone is to be a part of this, from selling to wrapping to delivering, has been a lot of fun, but the best part is seeing how excited everyone is to get a carnation,” Hetz said.

Custer and club members said they appreciate all the support given to this project and hope everyone continues to show love and support for their friends and family.