The eNewletter of the Memorial Day Flowers Foundation
We remain committed to Memorial Day 2020
In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, we remain committed to two things. First, and foremost, keeping all those associated with Memorial Day Flowers Foundation safe. This includes staff, volunteers, donors, flower suppliers and cemetery personnel. We are following CDC, state and local guidelines for social distancing and preventative hygiene to help make this crisis as short as possible. We are also committed to honoring our fallen military personnel and their families in 2020. Because of the fluidity of this crisis this may mean we hold our 2020 tributes on a date to be determined.
We have been in contact with the leadership of the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), the Office of Army Cemeteries (OAC), and Arlington National Cemetery and fully support their actions to keep their staffs and the public safe from the spread of this virus. The primary mission of these entities is the dignified interment of veterans and their families. To that end we have offered to reschedule our activities in 2020 to do our part in ensuring the staffs of these honor grounds remains mission ready and that families are able to lay their loved ones to rest.
For now, we are going ahead with the notion that we will still gather for the traditional event on Memorial Day Weekend and the National Memorial Day Observance. However, just like the military personnel we honor, we will remain flexible to ensure the safety of all involved.
We will keep you, the volunteers, sponsors and flower suppliers apprised of any rescheduling should that become necessary. Otherwise, our expectation is that we’ll be placing flowers on Memorial Day, unless directed otherwise by the NCA and OAC in this time of uncertainty. Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support.
Focus on Flowers: California MDFF receives flowers from Ecuador, Colombia, United States (California), and Ethiopia
Between now and Memorial Day we will continue to share facts about where the flowers are grown and how our logistic chain gets half a million stems from farm to cemetery Memorial Day ceremony.
California accounts for about 75% of the domestic cut flower crop in the United States. California’s flower growers produce more than 600 varieties of commercial cut flowers and have been a strong supporter of Memorial Day Flowers since 2015. Beginning in 2016 California cut flower growers provided tens of thousands of flowers on Memorial Day for cemeteries across the county including Arlington National Cemetery. Recently the California Association of Flower Growers & Shippers (CalFlowers) has again committed to making a substantial number of stems available to MDFF volunteers in 2020.
Royal Canadian Legion, US Branch #25 