Amazing local initiative donates leftover flower bouquets to those in need

It’s wedding season, and that means the floral business is thriving.

But have you wondered what happens to the flowers after people say “I do?”

Local Calgarian Kendahl Cowan has come up with an amazing idea for those unused flowers and has started a flower donation program called “YYC Petal Project.”

On an Instagram post, Cowan says she wants to start a movement/project where instead of people throwing out their flowers she’ll collect them and gift them”to people who could genuinely benefit from the joy that accompanies receiving flowers.”

Her first delivery was a few days ago where Cowan took bouquets from a wedding, “broke them down into 24 (of these) small bouquets and delivered them to a shelter for women leaving domestic violence.”

I’ve been lucky to have been invited to quite a few weddings over the last few years since getting to the age where so many people around me are settling down. I recently started considering what happens to all the floral components of weddings and came to understand that in a lot of circumstances, they end up getting thrown out. I also understand how much people love being gifted flowers – they’re pretty, they smell nice and receiving flowers has been proven to have a positive impact on mental health. I reached out to a few people who I knew were getting married in the near future, asking them if they had plans for their flowers after their day was over, and if they’d be willing to have me collect them, and ultimately be gifted to people who could genuinely benefit from the joy that accompanies receiving flowers. Last night I picked up the first set of flowers from @bcisecki ‘s wedding, broke them down into 24 of these small bouquets and delivered them to a shelter for women leaving domestic violence. After all the hugs and thank-you’s I received, it’s not hard to realize how impactful a small gift like this is and would love to continue to make this happen and spread more cheer to others who deserve it. So, if anyone is getting married, hosting an event, or knows people who are where floral arrangements will be incorporated and want to have them re-purposed, send me a message and I’ll pick them up and ensure they have the opportunity to brighten up someone else’s world. 💐💕

A post shared by YYC Petal Project (@yycpetalproject) on Aug 21, 2017 at 7:08pm PDT

Cowan’s call to action is simple. If you know anyone who is getting married, hosting an event, or knows people who are where floral arrangements will be incorporated and want to have them re-purposed, send her a message via Instagram or email and she’ll pick them up and donate them somewhere else.

Already Cowan was contacted by a bride and made this delivery to the Calgary Ronald McDonald house yesterday.

Dropped off 23 of these sweet bouquets to The Calgary Ronald McDonald house this afternoon. The flowers today were donated by a bride who happened to see one of the shared posts from the first set of donated flowers last week. The bride mentioned that she would like to see them delivered to a charity that works with children, so I contacted the Ronald McDonald house where I was told they would be gratefully received, and that flowers are something they rarely see donated to their families. Today I’m grateful for he power of social media facilitating the relationship with this bride, and allowing for her wedding flowers to be connected to families who will truly appreciate the joy of receiving these sweet deliveries. I am also grateful for everyone who took the time to share my post, offer their time, or gave words of encouragement over the last week. I really do have the most supportive people in my life and I’m flattered that those around me believe in this little project at much as I do. 💐 ❤️

A post shared by YYC Petal Project (@yycpetalproject) on Aug 21, 2017 at 7:09pm PDT