Florist, council go extra mile for smiles
■ With help from SSRH representatives, Pentecost creates 60 bouquets in honor of a special week.
Florist Melanie Pentecost and members of Siloam Springs Regional Hospital’s Healthy Community Advisory Council worked hard to bring smiles to hospital patients this week.
Pentecost, who owns Siloam Flowers & Gifts, worked with the advisory council members to create and deliver 60 Be Happy Bouquets on Tuesday for Teleflora’s Make Someone Smile Week, held July 16 through 22.
Teleflora has been hosting the program for 17 years and local florists and volunteers are on track to deliver more than 30,000 Be Happy Bouquets this year, according to the organization’s website, www.teleflora.com. Teleflora
donated the Be Happy mugs and Pentecost provided most of the supplies for the bouquets with the help of a few donations from her suppliers.
Pentecost has participated in the program for at least five years and loves bringing a smile to people’s faces. In the past she has also donated bouquets to local nursing homes, firefighters and police.
“Just to have a smile on everybody’s face that we deliver to means the world to me,” she said.
This is the first time that Pentecost has had community volunteers help her create the bouquets. She said it was wonderful to have the advisory council’s help, which saved her a whole afternoon of work.
“I couldn’t have done it without them this year,” she said. “Sixty is a lot to do in one setting.”
The advisory council is made up of women who are community leaders. They give input and serve as ambassadors for the hospital’s Healthy Community program.
Rebecca Pearrow, SSRH marketing director, explained helping with Make Someone Smile Week gave the advisory council a chance to do something hands on to support the hospital patients.
Pentecost inducted into AIFD
Pentecost’s passion for flowers is paying off. She received the floral industry’s Accredited in Floral Design designation and was inducted into the American Institute of Floral Designers on July 3.
The induction ceremony was held as part of the AIFDs international 2017 Symposium “X,” held July 1-5 in Seattle, Wash.
AIFD is a non-profit organization with more than 1,500 members worldwide, according to a press release. The organization recognizes those who have excelled in floral design. Candidates become accredited by successfully demonstrating their advanced abilities before an international panel of evaluators.
Pentecost was evaluated and earned her certified floral designer designation at the 2016 AIFD symposium in California, the release states. She accomplished her lifelong goal of being inducted into AIFD this year.
“To be on stage and actually get my pin was the best feeling — to know I accomplished what I set out to do, and not to be better than anyone, but to better myself,” she said.
Pentecost’s love for flowers began while working at Siloam Flowers & Gifts for her sister, Joyce Lynch in 1992, the release states. She eventually bought the business and continued to pursue excellence in floral design. In 2008, Pentecost earned her Arkansas Master Florist certification.
Pentecost is also a member of the Arkansas Florists Association Board and the Teleflora Arkansas Unit Board.