Making people smile

Flowers by Jena distributing bouquets today in Downingtown as part of national event

One way to make someone smile is by giving them flowers.

“Petal it forward” is a nationwide event that will be held on Oct. 24 at participating florist shops. The event promotes happiness by handing out flowers to bypassers.

This is the first time that “Flowers by Jena” florist shop in Downingtown will participate in the national event held on Wednesday. Owner Jena Paige Kendra, a 2007 Downingtown West High School graduate, noted that she has, along with her employees, handed out flowers randomly to people walking past the shop at 111 East Lancaster Avenue in Downingtown Borough. However, this time they will distribute flowers at noon Wednesday as part of the event that aims to make people smile.

“It makes me happy to see someone smile, when they receive a flower,” Kendra said about the times she has distributed free flowers to bypassers. “They are walking down the street, not expecting that.”

Kendra said the theory of the event, created and encouraged by American

Florist Society, is the scientific research showing that flowers make people smile, and that people are happy to receive flowers. She said that they will hand out two bouquets to people on the streets. One bouquet is for them to keep and the other is for them to pass on to a co-worker, friend, family member or even another stranger.

“It makes people happy to receive a flower and it makes people happy to give one,” Kendra said. “This doubles it. This is the (concept) of ‘petal it forward.’ It is a message of spreading that happiness to other people.”

Her overall goal is to make people smile for the day.

There’s a lot of work that goes into such a day. Her staff on Tuesday prepared 200 bouquets. She was thankful that Delaware Valley Floral Group provided the flowers at a discounted price to allow the shop to distribute the flowers for free.

According to American Florist Society, florists nationwide will surprise people on the street with flowers in more than 400 cities in all 50 states.

Visit Daily Local News staff writer Ginger Rae Dunbar’s blog about journalism and volunteering as a firefighter at FirefighterGinger. blogspot.com.

SUBMITTED PHOTO - FLOWERS BY JENA “Flowers by Jena” in Downingtown will participate in the national event Wednesday called “Petal it forward.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO - FLOWERS BY JENA “Flowers by Jena” in Downingtown will participate in the national event Wednesday called “Petal it forward.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO - FLOWERS BY JENA “Flowers by Jena” in Downingtown will participate in the national event Wednesday called “Petal it forward.”