Spreading positivity, along with hundreds of flowers, in Petal It Forward campaign

Local flower shop Flower Craft participating in Petal It Forward campaign to spread positivity throughout Springfield on Wednesday. CONTRIBUTED

Local flower shop Flower Craft participating in Petal It Forward campaign to spread positivity throughout Springfield on Wednesday. CONTRIBUTED

“Where flowers bloom, so does hope,” said the late Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Johnson, former First Lady of the United States.

And Melissa Skinner, owner of Flower Craft, will be sharing blooms and spreading hope in Springfield community with the Petal It Forward campaign on Wednesday.

“I do this to spread some positive love through our community with flowers,” said Skinner. “It is better to give than to receive.”

Skinner first introduced Petal It Forward to Clark County last year. Florists in all 50 states can participate in the event.

Petal It Forward was initiated 10 years ago by the Society of Professional Florists as a goodwill initiative. Participants hand two flowers or bouquets to an unsuspecting stranger, urging them to keep one and share the other with someone else.

“You never know who you may affect that day that truly needed a kind gesture to come their way,” said Skinner.

Skinner will place buckets of flowers in partner businesses around Springfield.

“These businesses have allowed me to put a bucket…for anyone who goes in and takes one to keep and one to give away,” said Skinner.

“Myself and my two designers plan to go downtown Springfield in the late afternoon and be able to give some away ourselves,” she said. “We will do live Facebook post and have some updated pics on our page after as well.”

Skinner would like to include 20 small local owned businesses in the campaign.

“I would love to make it bigger every year and involve others to share in the love at no cost to them,” she said.

Flower Craft will distribute 500 roses, 375 carnations and 60 small bouquets through the Petal It Forward campaign.

“Flower Craft has always been family owned,” said Skinner. “We want to take this day to share our love and passion for flowers and bring smiles to as many people as we can in hopes of making someone’s day brighter. I appreciate these other small businesses allowing us to place a bucket to help do that.”

Skinner and her husband, Gene, both own small businesses. Skinner said small business is valuable to a community and collaboration within them is essential.

“Springfield is my hometown,” she said. “We have raised our family here. We want to see the good and positive things being said about Springfield; to see the local business community prosper and grow.”

Flower Craft Petal It Forward flowers will be available while supplies last at the following locations on Wednesday, Oct. 15: It’s Your Party Bakery, IH Credit Union, Richwood Bank, Culture Cafe, Winan’s Coffee, Torte and Iron Cafe, Un Mundo Cafe, Studebaker’s Restaurant on Troy Road, The Peanut Shop, Mike & Rosy’s, Hi Hat Social Club and both TanLines Salon locations.

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