Moore petals it forward in the rain

Petals & Pages—formerly known as Jenny’s Floral—hit the streets of Custer Wednesday, Oct. 15, handing out flowers to Custer residents to help brighten up their week, as part of the ‘Petal it Forward’ program, in partnership with the Society of American Florists (SAF), of which Petals & Pages is a member.
Carrie Moore, owner,  joined thousands of florists across the country in Petal It Forward. This random-acts-of-kindness effort is in response to the release of data by SAF showing the positive emotional benefits of flowers.
University research reveals that flowers have an immediate impact on happiness and a long-term positive effect on moods. Now, a survey has found that, when it comes to flowers, it’s just as good to give as it is to receive. With this data in mind, the Petal It Forward team is not only spreading happiness to lucky Custer residents who receive the flowers, but arming these recipients with the tools they need to Petal it Forward and spread happiness to others: An extra flower bouquet to share with a loved one, coworker or even a stranger.
“We see the positive impact day in and day out when we make our flower deliveries,” Moore said. “People love to get flowers ‘just because’ so we wanted to create random smiles today and give people a chance to do the same for someone else.”
A survey by SAF illustrates the impact of flowers. The results reveal the many benefits of flowers, including their positive effects on one’s emotions and happiness, and back up previous research studies on flowers conducted by Rutgers, Harvard and Texas A&M.
Visit the website 
flowers.com/research for more information on the university studies.
The following are highlights from SAF’s survey results:
• When it comes to happiness, it’s just as good to give flowers as it is to receive: 88 percent of Americans report that giving flowers makes them feel happy, while 80 percent reported that receiving flowers makes them feel happy.
• Just being around flowers improves your mood: 76 percent of Americans agree that having flowers in their home or office improves their mood.
• The best reason to receive flowers is “just because.” Women (92 percent) are more likely to agree with this, but the majority of men (three in four) also share this sentiment.
 Nearly four in 10 Americans indicate florists have helped them in a past or current relationship; most frequently to say “I love you,” or schedule a surprise delivery.
“The impact of giving or receiving flowers is powerful and memorable,” Moore said. “It can turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary one.”
Last year, florists in every state and a handful of countries participated in the one-day event.
Moore gave away 100 bouquets to people on the street. After receiving their flowers, recipients are asked to spread the happiness by gifting their extra flower bouquet and sharing their happiness on social media using #petalitforward.
For more information on the benefits of flowers visit aboutflowers.com and aboutflowersblog.com.