Rose Bush fundraiser idea

Rose Bushes – Living Memorial

I ran across this fundraising idea one day and thought maybe one of our local teams could or would benefit from their success story. It came from the chair person for the Vandalia-Butler Relay For Life in Ohio and she also served as the team captain for the Seasons Of Hope team. She explained that they've held a very successful living memorial rose bush sale the past two years and raised at least $500 both years! Here's what they do:

They coordinate buying the rose bushes from a local nursery at their cost. They had been able to buy knock-out rose bushes for $11 a piece from the nursery; then sell them for $22. They sell the roses as a living memorial for people that have been lost to cancer or those battling cancer. They usually take pre-orders for the rose bushes, but try to have a few available for purchase at the event. They purchase 3" wide purple silk ribbon by the roll, cut it into 24" sections and using a paint pen write "In memory of" or "In Honor Of" and the persons name.....(very similar to the luminaries). Draping the ribbons across the rose bushes and displaying the rose bushes at the event. They are a huge hit every year! Since their Relay For Life is around Mother's Day, they also sell a lot of bushes as Mother's Day gifts as well.

I'm hoping that someone finds this helpful and shares it with their team! You could always shake things up a bit and do them for Valentines Day instead! Happy fundraising!