Local business spreads smiles and stress relief, two bouquets at a time
BANGOR — On Wednesday, Oct. 16 Bangor Floral is joining dozens of floral industry businesses nationwide to surprise unsuspecting passersby in Bangor’s West Market Square, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., with two free flowers each — one to keep and one to give to a friend, family member, colleague, or even a stranger. The random-acts-of-kindness effort — called Petal It Forward and organized by the Society of American Florists, of which Bangor Floral is a member — is designed to help people start their day with more smiles and less stress. The effort illustrates research from the University of North Florida that shows living with flowers reduces stress.
“Petal It Forward is the floral industry’s way of giving back,” said Elizabeth Daly, SAF’s manager of marketing and communications, citing the effort was purposefully planned for a Wednesday to help the mid-week slump. Shop owner Joseph Langlois of Bangor Floral wanted to be a part of the mood-boosting effort and make a difference in the community. “A random act of kindness, no matter how small, can make a tremendous impact on someone else’s life,” said Langlois. “Through the positive effects of flowers, we hope to make someone’s day brighter, and provide a much-needed moment of calm amidst the hectic pace of life,” he added.
The research findings on flowers and stress relief, and the need for mood-boosting gestures, seem timely: A survey by Wakefield Research in July showed that 68 percent of Americans experience stress weekly, and 32 percent report feeling stressed daily. Women are even more affected, with 25 percent reporting feeling stress multiple times a day.
Langlois says the original idea behind Petal It Forward’s ‘keep one, share one’ concept, which started in 2015, came after looking at statistics that showed while 80 percent of people reported receiving flowers makes them happy, even more (88 percent) said that giving flowers makes them happy. “We want to give people the chance to experience both,” said Langlois.
In addition to the research on stress, previous behavioral studies conducted by Rutgers and Harvard scientifically demonstrate the positive impact flowers have on emotional well-being. For information on the effects of flowers on stress research, visit aboutflowers.com/stressless. For research on all the health benefits of flowers, visit aboutflowers.com/research.
For more information on the Petal It Forward effort, please contact Stephanie Brady at the Society of American Florists at [email protected].
Bangor Floral is a leader in providing value‐added floral designs and services to our customers while committing to the preservation of our environment for today and future generations. We have been in the floral industry and serving the local community since 1925. This is our third year participating in this event.
The Society of American Florists is the national trade association to the floral industry, representing growers, wholesalers, retailers, suppliers, importers, educators, designers and allied organizations.
