The annual sale begins at 8 a.m. Friday through Sunday in the parking lot of Rhythms of the Night on South Main Street.
By: Mary Ellen Zangara
April showers bring May flowers, but if you can’t wait until next month stop by the annual Easter flower sale organized by the members of the North End Volunteer Fire Company No. 3 and its Ladies Auxiliary.
The annual sale, which helps raise money for the fire company’s operations, will offer a variety of flowers beginning at 8 a.m. Friday through Sunday in the parking lot of Rhythms of the Night on South Main Street.
"The flower sales are a joint effort with the men and one of the biggest fundraisers for the ladies," Violet Hall, a member of the auxiliary’s Ways and Means Committee, said.
For over 10 years, the sale has been taking place a few days before Easter to help the fire company and to give people a chance to purchase some nice flowers for their holiday gifts.
According to Ms. Hall, the variety of seasonal flowers offered includes hyacinth, daffodils, tulips, dahlias and various colors of lilies.
"All of the flowers come from the same greenhouse and range in price from $3 to $30." Ms. Hall said. "We are having the round dish gardens and 18-inch pine logs filled with a variety of Easter flowers."
Jane Wynn, another member of the auxiliary’s committee organizing the sale, pointed out the higher quality of the flowers offered by the group.
"They may be cheaper somewhere else, but because we are a local organization in town, we have the same people coming back year after year helping us and supporting us and they are willing to pay a little higher price," she said. "It’s nice to see the faces come back year after year."
The sale will have a preview of the featured flowers tonight (Thursday) from 6 to 8 p.m. at the firehouse on North Eighth Avenue.
"We will have some light refreshments and whoever wants to come will get the pick of the crop," Ms. Hall said. "Then we start selling Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Rhythms and hopefully we will be sold out by Sunday."
All of the proceeds from the flower sale go to the firehouse and support the firemen.
The auxiliary officers, including President Irene Brygier, Vice President Jen Walters, Secretary Tammy Hunt, Treasurer Cindy Owsik, Chaplin Angie Wilczek and Sergeant-at-Arms Carrissa Chapkowski, all help along Ms. Hall and Ms. Wynn and the fireman to make the sale a success.
The auxiliary is also grateful to John Pettoni, the owner of Rhythms, for letting them use the parking lot for the sale.
Mark your calendars for their Mother’s Day sale on Saturday and Sunday May 12 and 13. For more information about the sale, call 526-0403.