Every year, we ask ourselves: why is Memorial Day celebrated? For me, the answer became even clearer this year. Memorial Day is about honoring the brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedom. It’s a day of reflection, community, and deep gratitude for those who served—and sacrificed.
This Memorial Day, I had the honor of participating in a deeply meaningful tribute at South Florida National Cemetery, where more than 3,500 red roses were placed in remembrance of fallen heroes. In collaboration with the Memorial Day Flowers Foundation, Jet Fresh Flowers, Rosaprima, Chrysal, and New Bloom Media—along with our families—we joined a special service organized by the Palm Beach County Veterans Committee. The roses, generously donated by Jet Fresh and Rosaprima, were lovingly handed to attendees, who then placed them throughout the cemetery grounds as personal tributes to those who served and sacrificed.
How This Meaningful Tribute Came to Life
The Memorial Day Flowers Foundation began with a simple but powerful idea. In 2011, founder Ramiro Peñaherrera believed that placing a single flower on a veteran’s grave could be a meaningful act of remembrance. That belief grew into a national movement—starting at Arlington National Cemetery with just 10,000 flowers and now reaching cemeteries across the country with hundreds of thousands of floral tributes every year.
Although South Florida has participated in the initiative before, this year marked a heartfelt return—rekindled in spirit and revived through local leadership by two passionate figures in our floral community.
The renewed effort was led by Mimi Pacheco of Jet Fresh Flowers and Jena Girzensky of Rosaprima, both of whom volunteered at Arlington last year. Inspired by their experience and driven to bring that same energy home, they partnered with Ramiro and the Palm Beach County Veterans Committee to bring the tribute back to South Florida—a region with deep ties to the floral industry.
On the morning of Memorial Day, over 15 floral industry volunteers—including Mimi, Jena and her family, Ryan Black, Scott Blumenthal, Brianna Reeves, and Jimmy “The Tulip” Santoli (whose father is laid to rest at the cemetery)—came together in unity and reverence. Each rose placed was more than just a flower; it was a quiet moment of remembrance, a gesture of connection, and a symbol of gratitude.
A Humbling Experience
For my wife and me, this wasn’t just a volunteer opportunity—it was a deeply humbling experience. As we walked the rows of gravestones and placed roses on the resting places of veterans from Iraq, Vietnam, and beyond, it truly put everything into perspective. These individuals didn’t know us, yet they gave their lives so we could live in freedom.
What struck me most was the emotional response from families. A single rose brought comfort, connection, and sometimes even tears. It reminded me how powerful flowers can be—not just as a gesture, but as a symbol of remembrance and healing.
A Tribute That Needs Our Support
This initiative is more than a tradition—it’s a movement built on compassion and community for 15 years. The Memorial Day Flowers Foundation is a nonprofit organization that relies on floral donations and volunteers to continue expanding its reach. Thanks to people like Ramiro, Mimi, and Jena, more communities—like ours in South Florida—are now able to participate in this meaningful act of remembrance.
I’m proud to be part of something that honors not only the past but also connects people in the present. If you’d like to get involved, donate, or volunteer next year, visit www.memorialdayflowers.org. Whether it’s one flower or thousands, every tribute counts.
