Carnations and Cards for a Cause: Sharing Valentine’s Day with the community

Over Valentine’s Day, honor society Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) and the Forsyth Tech teacher educator club Trailblazing for Teaching held a fundraiser called Carnations and Cards for a Cause. This fundraiser helped to fund flower donations to area nursing home residents and local children. With the support of Stokes County business Bennett’s and Bows, Carnations and Cards for a Cause sold over 350 carnations at Forsyth Tech campuses. The flower sales not only provided the Forsyth Tech community with a way to buy flowers for loved ones, the fundraiser also raised money to fund the delivery of flowers and handmade cards to local nursing home residents at Lifebrite Community Hospital of Stokes and preschool students attending the Carol L. Danforth Early Childhood Lab School. As a result of the generous support of the Forsyth Tech community, PTK and Trailblazing for Teaching were able to donate 11 flowers to lab school students and 50 flowers to nursing home residents from Lifebrite Community Hospital of Stokes. 

Children attending the lab school also made cards for the residents of Lifebrite Hospital which ensured that residents received a personalized handmade card and a flower. To the delight of Lifebright Hospital residents, Forsyth Tech Trailblazing for Teaching and Early Childhood Education student Sarah McKnight took her children along to help deliver the flowers and cards.

PTK member Chase Parks and Trailblazing for Teaching member Kayla Conner delivered cards and flowers to the children at the lab school. Chase and Kayla gave each child a personalized card and a carnation. Trailblazing for Teaching club members also planned a special activity for the students in the lab school and helped them celebrate Valentine’s Day by reading Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff. After the story, club members helped the children create Valentine’s Day cards for people they love.

Additionally, Trailblazing for Teaching and Early Education student Te Pinkney supported the fundraiser by selling flowers at the daycare she runs. As the director of Kidz Zone Learning Center in Winston-Salem, Te raised and families of students attending the daycare were able to raise money to purchase 65 flowers for residents of a local assisted living facility, Trinity Glen. Te and her students then took a field trip to Trinity Glen to deliver flowers, much to the delight of residents.

Interested in Trailblazing for Teaching or PTK? Trailblazing for Teaching is a teacher educator club is for anyone invested in the well-being of young children. The club participates in activities that promote healthy enviornments for young children. PTK is a nationally recognized honor society that provides students with programs for personal and academic growth, and access to scholarships and other opportunities. For more information contact Staci Watkins at: swatkins@forsythtech.edu or Caryn Fletcher at: crfletcher@forsythtech.edu.