June 18, 2007 was a tragic day in Charleston, as nine of our City firefighters perished in a fire. Our entire community grieved the loss, and emphathized with the families. Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the tragedy. Tiger Lily was proud to be asked to provide the flowers and plants for the event.

Two Tiger Lily employees are full-time City of Charleston firemen. The wreath on the left was for the Uncle of one of them. We could say the event touched us especially close, but Charleston is still a small town. It affected everyone "especially close". The memorial service was a chance to express our feelings of loss.

There was an AM public memorial at the Galliard. We provided the plants and the three stage arrangements for that, but didn't have the chance to take any pics. You could see glimpses of them in today's Post & Courier.

Last evening, at the same time of the actual fire last year, a private memorial was held for the families of the victims and fellow firemen. We donated a wreath for each firefighter who perished. As you can see, we didn't hold back on the design. Tiger Lily designer Wendy Long created all the arrangements. It took her the entire day, but they looked spectacular. Hydrangeas, lillies, roses and more. No greens, no fillers, no carnations, no shortcuts. The City provided the plaques, which the families will keep forever.

The private memorial was not open to the media. Each wreath was placed at the exact location where the firemen were found. We are proud of the designs, but we hope we never, ever have to do that again. It's always been my opinion that firemen, police, and teachers should be considered heroes, everyday. I couldn't do any of those jobs. Thank goodness they step up and do! A very sad day in Charleston.