How could Tiger Lily best support a great organization, the Lowcountry Food Bank? I cut them a check already, but surely there was something else we could do. The Lowcountry Food Bank (LCFB) feeds thousands of folks everyday, between Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head. Many of those folks are children. Kids who would otherwise go to bed hungry, everyday. I don't like that, not in my town!

So we came up with the idea of teaching a flower design class and donating all the proceeds to the LCFB. We held the class at the Food Bank, so folks can see and appreciate the new facility and the great challenge.

We teach flower design courses throughout the year for Trident Technical College. They sell out quickly and have a waiting list. We hoped some of that demand would fuel a good turnout. Clara taught the class, Tiger Lily employees DD, Robin, Nicole and Brenda volunteered their time to help out. Several of our vendors stepped up and donated their flowers at no charge. Way to go folks we really appreciate it. Remember, some of these farms are overseas and look up to the U.S. as the "land of plenty". For them to donate to us is kind of like us donating to GM or Chrysler....oh wait a second, forget about that analogy.

Anyway these generous donations enabled us to give 100% of the proceeds to the LCFB. The money raised created 6,000 meals!

The best part of it was that the participants made and kept two killer holiday arrangments each! Most of the folks were novices and never made an arrangement before. Once they got over their initial hesitations they did great! They taped vases, greened, then added the flowers. Clara made model arrangements for them to follow. Some followed them perfectly, others quickly went in their own direction. All turned out great. I think their favorite part was throwing the leaves and cut stems on the floor.

In the photos above, it is easy to see the stoke of the participants. The photo on the left includes a group that came from Wild Wing Cafe corporate office. I'm a big fan of Wild Wing, both as a diner, and as a business owner. I really look up to them as a business inspiration. Great food, great service, great business model, everyday. They make all of their stuff at each restaurant: sauces, dressings, salsas, etc. That committment to quality is apparent everytime I sit down to a 25 wing sampler.

We kind of slammed this event together at the last minute, but it was good for a first time. I would like to try it again, give ourselves a couple months to promote it, and get 50 people there. If we hold 4 a year we would raise $10,000 for the LCFB. That's our goal. Not bad for a little flower shop. We would also show folks what the LCFB is all about.

Things are tough all over, and I dont' want to get "preachy". If you get a chance to help someone this holiday season, go for it. You'll be the one who benefits the most.