By Hilary Moore Hebert
For a full week, the Wellington Florist team worked long hours wrapping 7,000 roses by hand, each one meant to brighten someone’s day.
On Wednesday, Oct. 15, as part of the nationwide Petal It Forward 2025 day organized by the Society of American Florists, the shop helped spread kindness by encouraging local organizations to give flowers to strangers.
About a dozen local organizations participated, including Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast.
Petal It Forward was created by the Society of American Florists to highlight the positive power of flowers and the connections they inspire. The concept is simple: participants give two flowers to a random person, one to keep and one to share. The gesture may be small, but research shows that giving flowers can lift a person’s mood just as much as receiving them.
This was the second year that Wellington Florist joined the program, once again turning generosity into a community event. The shop donated 7,000 roses to local civic groups and nonprofits, spreading color and kindness throughout Palm Beach County.
Owner J.P. Varvarigos, a third-generation florist, said the effort is both personal and professional. “We are proud to do it,” he said. “It’s an honor, privilege and duty.”
While many florists in the national program distribute small bouquets, Varvarigos and his team wanted to reach as many people as possible.
“Other florists hand out about 20 arrangements at a time,” he said. “We would rather touch more people.”
Of the 7,000 roses, Wellington Florist donated 6,000 directly.
For Junior Achievement, the experience was both meaningful and memorable.
“We didn’t know what to expect, but I almost feel like we filled up our cups more than anyone else,” said Maria Pumarejo, Junior Achievement’s vice president of development. “Based on the outcome, we plan to sign up for more next year.”
Pumarejo said their teams fanned out across the county to hand out 100 roses, one by one. “There was just so much joy,” she said.
Some of the most memorable moments in Palm Beach County came at the VA, where volunteers handed out 1,200 roses in just one hour. At the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, two locations took part, including the county courthouse, where deputies distributed 500 to 600 roses to visitors whose days were often difficult.
“Most of those people were having a bad day,” Varvarigos said. “The roses lifted their spirits.”
For the PBSO, the project was as rewarding for deputies as it was for those who received the flowers.
“It was truly a heartwarming experience,” said Deputy Kenneth “Coach T” Torrence, community outreach coordinator for the PBSO’s countywide services. “Several of our deputies joined in on the Petal It Forward action at the main courthouse, and the kindness did not stop there. The spirit continued later that evening at our PBSO National Night Out event.”
Torrence said deputies and volunteers handed out 900 roses.
“It was a simple, yet meaningful, gesture that brightened countless days and reminded everyone of the power of small acts of kindness,” he said. “At the PBSO, we believe small acts of kindness create big impacts, strengthen community connections and deepen trust with the people we proudly serve.”
Last year, Wellington Florist handed out 5,000 flowers. This year’s total of 7,000 represents a meaningful increase and sets the stage for an even larger effort next year. Varvarigos has already set a goal of 10,000 roses for 2026.
“We had people crying,” he said. “It might seem silly, but more than one person cried. I got hugs all day long. What makes this special is the face-to-face interaction.”
That human connection, he added, is what keeps his team motivated. Wellington Florist, a longstanding community business, contributes more than $150,000 in charitable donations each year. For Varvarigos, Petal It Forward offers a chance to give in a way that feels deeply personal: one rose, one smile, one shared moment at a time.
“Petal It Forward is all about sharing joy and kindness through flowers, and Wellington Florist’s incredible effort shows just how impactful that can be,” said Amanda Jedlinsky, senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists. “Their giveaway of 7,000 roses truly captures the spirit of the program and the power of flowers to connect and uplift people.”
Across Palm Beach County, those connections took many forms. A veteran receiving roses outside the VA. A courthouse visitor clutching two flowers on a stressful morning. A volunteer ending her day feeling lighter than she began. Each exchange was brief, but it mattered.
In today’s fast-paced world, handing someone a rose might seem like a small gesture, but in Palm Beach County, it made a real difference. With 7,000 roses shared, the smiles, hugs and tears that followed proved that kindness can bloom anywhere, even in the middle of an ordinary day.
For more information about Wellington Florist, visit www.wellingtonflorist.com. Learn more about Petal It Forward at https://safnow.org/petalitforward.
