Continuing an annual tradition, Royer’s Flowers & Gifts on Dec. 7, 2021, presented several thousand holiday cards and coloring pages to the American Red Cross for distribution to area veterans.
Royer’s, which has participated in the Red Cross “Holidays for Heroes” program for nearly a decade, collected the cards from the public in each of its stores throughout November.
WGAL News 8 and abc27 were on hand at Royer’s Harrisburg East store as Barry Spengler, Royer’s chief administrative officer, transferred boxes of cards and coloring pages to Jonathan Glenn, regional program director, American Red Cross.
From left, Geoff Royer, vice president of central operations, and Tom Royer, president and CEO, Royer’s Flowers & Gifts, which has donated $100 each to 10 area animal shelters. Royer’s sister company in the Columbus, Ohio, area, Connells Maple Lee Flowers & Gifts, made similar donations to four shelters there for total contributions of $1,400.
Plants and animals just go together.
Consider the former that are named after the latter, from cattails to hound’s tongue, elephant ear to bird of paradise, rattlesnake orchids to zebra grass.
Royer’s Flowers & Gifts even offers arrangements featuring plush animals, including Kitten in a Basket and Puppy in a Basket. Under a new program, Royer’s is donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of those two arrangements to area animal shelter and rescue efforts.
For the first awards, family-owned Royer’s is sending $100 checks to 10 area animal organizations:
Humane Pennsylvania, serving Berks and Lancaster counties; Animal Rescue League of Berks County; Speranza Animal Rescue in Mechanicsburg; Castaway Critters and Humane Society of the Harrisburg Area in Dauphin County;
Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter in Chambersburg; 2nd Chance 4 Life Rescue in Elizabethtown; Columbia Animal Shelter; Humane Society of Lebanon County; and York County SPCA.
“On behalf of the Royer’s Flowers & Gifts family, please accept this gift in support of the love and care your organization provides to animals,” wrote Tom Royer, president and CEO of Royer’s, in a letter accompanying each donation.
The Kitten in a Basket and Puppy in a Basket arrangements are available year-round.
Royer’s Flowers & Gifts will honor veterans with free patriotic bouquets on Nov. 11.
The bouquets – featuring a red carnation, a white carnation and a blue bow – will be available in-store only at any of Royer’s 16 locations in Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties.
“This is one of our favorite annual traditions,” said Tom Royer, president and CEO of family-owned Royer’s. “These men and women, along with their families, make great sacrifices while serving our country. It’s our privilege to honor our veterans.”
Non-veterans may purchase the bouquet for $2.10 each.
From left, Geoff Royer, vice president of central operations, and Tom Royer, president and CEO, Royer’s Flowers & Gifts, which has donated $7,250 to six women’s charities. Royer’s sister company in the Columbus, Ohio, area made similar donations totaling $2,750 for total contributions to women’s charities of $10,000.
Royer’s Flowers & Gifts has donated $7,250 to six women’s charities throughout its market area in central and eastern Pennsylvania.
Family-owned Royer’s earmarks $10 for women’s charities for every sale of its Admiration arrangement, which is available year-round.
This year’s recipients and the amount of their awards: Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, $2,500; Junior League of York, Junior League of Harrisburg, Junior League of Lancaster, and Junior League of Reading, $1,000 each; Girls Who Code, Harrisburg/Hershey clubs, $750.
“My grandmother Hannah Royer started our company,” said Tom Royer, president and CEO of Royer’s Flowers. “Our family has a keen appreciation for the vital role that women play in our families and communities and for the importance of encouraging female empowerment.
“We’re grateful to our customers for supporting our efforts with their purchases and to this year’s recipients for the significant contributions they make on behalf of women. Congratulations to each of the recipients. It is our pleasure to support them.”
Paige with her dog, Shiloh.
Lancaster County’s Paige Hershey didn’t sit idle during the pandemic.
For one thing, the East Lampeter Township 12-year-old got busy entering contests. One was for photography, another for writing.
“She’s just driven,” said Paige’s mother, Heather.
That drive led to success for the seventh-grader. Paige had the winning entry in this year’s Royer’s Flowers & Gifts Kids Club birthday card design contest.
Her design will adorn the electronic card that kids club members will receive on their birthdays in the coming year. Paige’s prize is a free flower delivery on her next birthday.
Paige, one of five siblings, loves to draw (mainly horses) and read, Heather said. Paige plays field hockey and basketball and swims.
“She’s a really fun kiddo,” her mother said.
The Royer’s Kids Club is free to ages 5 to 12. With parental permission, children may register for the kids club at any Royer’s store or online at royers.com/kidsclub. Kids club benefits include a membership card, online activities, a quarterly e-mail newsletter, contests and events.
Every year for various reasons, Royer’s Flowers reworks approximately half of its arrangements.
This year, one of those makeovers is the focus of Royer’s annual name-the-arrangement contest.
This design features a clear dimple vase filled with sunflowers, carnations, daisy poms and charmelia, with accents of golden solidago and purple asters. It’s only lacking a name.
To view the arrangement and enter the contest, visit royers.com/contest. Limit one entry daily per email address, through Aug. 6.
The person who submits the winning name will receive the arrangement (retail value $49.99) as a prize.
From left, Geoff Royer, vice president, central operations, Royer’s Flowers & Gifts, and Doug Long, director of development, Helping Harvest food bank in Reading, Pa.
For every dollar donated, Helping Harvest can acquire $20 worth of food to help people in need in Berks and Schuylkill counties.
By that measure, the food bank will leverage a $3,000 donation from Royer’s Flowers & Gifts into $60,000 worth of food.
Tom Royer, president and CEO of Lebanon-based Royer’s, said the donation reflects his family-owned company’s gratitude for the support it has received during the pandemic. Royer’s 16 stores include Reading, Shillington and Wernersville in Berks County.
“We had to reinvent our company, and at times it was a painful process,” Royer said, “but our strong team’s dedication and hard work enabled us to come through this as a better company. It is our privilege to give back to our communities and help families that are struggling to put food on the table.”
Doug Long is director of development for Helping Harvest, which he said “is extremely grateful for the continued support and generosity of Royer’s Flowers and Gifts. In the past year, we have seen the need for food assistance in our community skyrocket. Thankfully, because of concerned supporters like Royer’s, we have been able to ensure that no family needs to go hungry during these difficult times.”
From left, Geoff Royer, vice president, central operations, Royer’s Flowers & Gifts, and David Carl, corporate partnership manager, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.
Every dollar donated to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank can provide six nutritious meals to people in need.
By that measure, Royer’s Flowers & Gifts will fund 90,000 meals with its $15,000 donation to the Harrisburg-based food bank, which serves 27 counties.
Of its 16 stores overall, family-owned Royer’s operates 13 (including one Stephenson’s Flowers & Gifts store in Harrisburg) in the food bank’s market region.
Tom Royer, president and CEO of Lebanon-based Royer’s, said the donations reflect the company’s gratitude for the support it has received during the pandemic.
“We had to reinvent our company, and at times it was a painful process,” Royer said, “but our strong team’s dedication and hard work enabled us to come through this as a better company. It is our privilege to give back to our communities and help families that are struggling to put food on the table.”
Joe Arthur is executive director of the food bank.
“We are grateful for the support of Royer’s Flowers & Gifts,” Arthur said. “As we transition into the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, this donation will help us provide healthy, nutritious food to those families, children, seniors and veterans who are still working to get back on their feet in the wake of the health and economic crisis.”
For more information about the food bank, visit centralpafoodbank.org.
Because of the generosity of our customers, Royer’s Flowers & Gifts has presented some 2,500 holiday cards and coloring pages to the American Red Cross for distribution to area veterans.
Royer’s, which has participated in the Red Cross “Holidays for Heroes” program for nearly a decade, collected the cards in each of its stores throughout November.
The items will be distributed to veterans at the Lebanon VA Medical Center and at area retirement facilities.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this year’s Holidays for Heroes.
Photo: From left, Jonathan Glenn, regional program director, American Red Cross, and Barry Spengler, chief administrative officer, Royer’s Flowers & Gifts.
Royer’s Flowers & Gifts has donated $1,000 to the non-profit Clare House in Lancaster.
Family-owned Royer’s donates $10 to women’s charities for every purchase of its Admiration arrangement, which is available year-round.
Clare House’s mission is to transform the lives of women and their children through an employment-focused program providing safety, housing and supportive services with the goal of financial stability. Clare House celebrated its 40th anniversary this year.
Photo: Geoff Royer, vice president of central operations, left, and Tom Royer, CEO, of Royer’s Flowers & Gifts, with Brittany Garner, board member, Clare House.
