Royer’s annual children’s book drive – “Bouquets for Books” – will return Nov. 1-8.
The books will benefit public libraries in Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. Royer’s has stores in each of the counties.
In its eight years, Bouquets for Books has collected more than 12,400 books for the libraries.
For each book, donors will receive a free bouquet, up to three per family per visit, while supplies last. Used books will not be accepted.
We get your homecoming going on Fox 43
It was a sort of homecoming for our Barry Spengler, making his first appearance on Fox 43 Morning News in a number of months.
But Barry was there to talk about a different kind of homecoming: the high school dance kind.
Joining Fox 43’s Heather Warner, Barry showed some of the bling and accents that are popular these days.
Homecoming, he said, tends to be less formal.
“It’s not like prom,” he said “You can go a little bit over the top. It’s cool.”
Other highlights:
- Not all girls go to homecoming with a date but rather attend with a group of girlfriends. Parents can make it special by getting “a little something” for them, Barry said, holding a small wrist corsage.
- For guys who want to make a really good impression: While you’re getting a corsage for your date, try also bringing a single rose for her mother.
“You’ll score some huge points,” Barry said, “that or just a little bouquet for the hand. Big points.”
Straw poll: What do you think of the Camp Hill store’s scarecrows?
It was a late-summer evening, but fall was in the air. There were no witches on brooms flying by, but a MetLife blimp passed overhead.
The setting was our Camp Hill store, where the staff engaged in its annual scarecrow contest. This year’s event had a wedding theme.
It’s an outdoor wedding, of course, and you’re invited to attend. And if you visit the store, be sure to let Holly, Aimee and the rest of the team know which of the scarecrows you like best.
7 ways to say you’re sorry – and many other free quotations and expressions available on our website
The Greek mathematician Archimedes said that with a long-enough lever and a fulcrum, he could move the world.
That’s a pretty lofty goal. What if you are just searching for the right words to accompany the flowers that you’re sending to a loved one?
Royer’s website offers more than 200 quotations and expressions to help you say what needs to be said. They cover everything from anniversaries and birthdays to love and marriage, business and education to sympathy and thank you.
For instance, here are seven ways to say you’re sorry:
1. “Accept these flowers in place of the words I said.”
2. “I wouldn’t have made a mistake with my mouth shut.”
3. “I’m wrong – you’re right.”
4. “I muffed it! I’m so sorry!”
5. “I’ll never forgive myself … but I’m hoping you will. I’m sorry.”
6. “I may not be perfect, but my apology is close.”
7. “Will these keys let me out of the doghouse? I’m sorry.”
Feel free to pick one or cobble together your own version from these suggestions.
We can’t promise that your words will move the world, but they will be a really nice complement to the flowers you send.
Save the date: final 2014 Royer’s Kids Club event is Nov. 1
Thanks to everyone who joined us on Aug. 23 for our back-to-school Royer’s Kids Club event. The photos above show some of the participants at our West York store.
Not only is it hard to believe that school has resumed, but it’s also incredible to think that we have only one more kids club event in 2014.
It’s on Nov. 1, and we’ll be kicking off our annual “Bouquets for Books” book drive, which collects new children’s books for area public libraries. We’ll also be celebrating Halloween, even if it’s a day late, so participants (ages 5 to 12) will be encouraged to wear their costumes.
Be sure to mark your calendars. We’ll provide more details in the weeks ahead.
Royer’s Stems Hunger food drive tops 2,100 pounds collected for area food banks
Our annual Royer’s Stems Hunger food drive collected 2,157 pounds of non-perishable items for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and the Greater Berks Food Bank.
From June 20-28, “Royer’s Stems Hunger” asked customers to drop off donations at any of our stores. In return, customers received a free carnation for each food item, up to a maximum of six carnations per family per visit.
The stores collected 1,638 pounds of food and $182.15 in cash contributions.
Also contributing was Drayer Physical Therapy Institute, which participated in the food drive for the first time. Drayer’s outpatient centers in Camp Hill, Carlisle, Lancaster, Lebanon and Mechanicsburg collected 519 pounds and $75.
Thanks to Drayer and to everyone else who has helped to make our event so successful. In its first four years, Royer’s Stems Hunger has collected more than 7,100 pounds of food for the food banks.
Royer’s Kids Club celebrates start of new school year with free event Aug. 23
We’re celebrating the start of a new school year with a free Royer’s Kids Club event Aug. 23 in each of our stores.
Children ages 5 to 12 will have an opportunity to create a daisy arrangement adorned with a “back-to-school” stick-in. Participants also will receive a free balloon.
Time slots are available at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Registration is required by calling your nearest Royer’s store: click here for locations and contact information.
Royer’s Columbia store joins parade to kick off Mountville’s bicentennial celebration
Happy 200th Birthday to Mountville, Lancaster County!
The borough kicked off its weeklong bicentennial celebration with a parade on Aug. 2.
Our Columbia store, which serves Mountville, entered Royer’s classic 1969 Ford Econoline delivery van in the procession. Store manager Patti Barclay and her team walked beside the van and handed out 400 carnations to spectators.
With addition of PinnacleHealth, Royer’s serving 11 area hospital gift shops
In advance of opening West Shore Hospital in May, PinnacleHealth System sought a new floral vendor that could keep up with the growing volume of orders from its three hospital boutique gift shops.
Royer’s Camp Hill store won a multi-year contract to service the new hospital as well as the established Harrisburg Hospital and Community General Osteopathic Hospital. The partnership began April 1.
“It’s just been extremely good the whole time,” said Joan Line, manager for PinnacleHealth Auxiliary.
She works closely with the Camp Hill store’s Holly Newpower, manager, and Aimee Arrowood, assistant manager. Royer’s delivers flowers at various price points to the hospitals every week, but Line also has been impressed with how requests have been accommodated on weekends.
“If a family comes in and wants a special arrangement,” she said, “all we have to do is call Holly and Amy and they will bring it in.”
PinnacleHealth’s gift shops are open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
What’s more, PinnacleHealth Auxiliary’s website includes an online gift shop, and orders placed there are filled by Royer’s. Or if customers buy flowers on Royer’s website that are destined for a PinnacleHealth hospital, Royer’s gives a small percentage of each sale back to PinnacleHealth Auxiliary.
The nonprofit PinnacleHealth Auxiliary manages the three gift shops. All of the proceeds from the gift shops come back to the hospitals to support various programs and services.
Holly, Royer’s manager in Camp Hill, called the PinnacleHealth Auxiliary partnership “a huge deal” for her store.
“More than just selling flowers,” she said, “it’s benefitting the community, too.”
Added PinnacleHealth’s Line: “It’s just a good match.”
Meanwhile, six other Royer’s stores service eight other area hospital gift shops:
East York: Apple Hill Surgical Center
Ephrata: WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital, Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center
Lancaster West: Lancaster General Hospital, Women & Babies Hospital
Lebanon: Good Samaritan Hospital
Reading: Reading Hospital
West York: WellSpan York Hospital
Ephrata’s Julia Longenecker wins Royer’s Kids Club birthday card design contest
Ephrata Middle School seventh-grader Julia Longenecker is a swimmer and a basketball player. She loves dogs and reading.
The daughter of John and Sandy Longenecker is pretty fond of drawing, too.
“She draws a little bit of everything,” Sandy said. “She likes to draw pictures of animals, flowers.”
In fact, one of Julia’s flower drawings has earned her another descriptor: winner of Royer’s Flowers & Gifts’ 2014 Royer’s Kids Club birthday card design contest.
Her drawing of a flower-filled vase will grace the electronic card that Royer’s Kids Club members will receive on their birthdays in the coming year. For her effort, she will receive a flower delivery on her birthday.