539 get a brighter day with free bouquet

All 409 residents of the Tucson House Apartments and the 130 residents of the Armory Park Apartments got small bouquets of flowers arranged by local florists as part of Teleflora's annual Make Someone Smile Week. Tenants at both sites acknowledged that they don't get many visitors, so the knock on the door they received Sunday was a bright boost.

Gisela Goodman had recently moved into Tucson House and said the delivery cemented her decision to move there.

"I get them on my birthday, but that's about it," said Goodman, 61, who moved into her apartment at the beginning of the year. "Any other day, I'd have to buy flowers myself."

For Robert Jennings, the flowers also served as a housewarming gift. He moved in on Saturday.

"I hope it's like this all the time," said Jennings, 52.

Tucson House, at 1501 N. Oracle Road, is a housing complex for low-income, elderly and disabled residents. Armory Park, 211 S. Fifth Ave., is for residents 62 and older.

The delivery team started at Tucson House at 9 a.m., then handed out flowers to residents at Armory Park later in the morning.

Teleflora is a national flower-delivery service that started more than 70 years ago, according to the company's Web site. Make Someone Smile Week began about eight years ago in Tucson, said David Paredez, co-owner of wholesaler Southern Arizona Floral. Residents of nursing homes and patients in hospitals received bouquets in previous years.

For one day each year here, local florists meet to make deliveries to two sites after spending a few hours the day before arranging roses, lilies and other flowers in a bright yellow smiley-face planter. The planters are donated by Teleflora; the florists contribute the flowers.

"A lot of florists don't usually see the reactions of the customers because their drivers deliver the flowers," Paredez said. "So this time, they get to go and see the people. It reminds us why we do this — and it's not for the money."

In addition to the 539 bouquets delivered in Tucson, 30 were handed out in Sierra Vista and 500 in Phoenix on Sunday, Paredez said. And nationally, it was estimated that 47,000 flowers would be distributed this week through the program.

Paredez said Armory Park was already a confirmed location before the 15-story Tucson House complex — the largest delivery since the program started in Tucson — was recommended. But he said the local florists worked together to make sure all residents were able to get a bouquet.

The florists had help from residents who walked with them to greet others and ensure delivery. One of the volunteers at Tucson House, Darcie Steele, said she enjoyed seeing the smiles from many of the residents and that she wants to help out at next year's event, no matter where it will be. She especially remembered the vivid expression of a woman with Alzheimer's disease who couldn't stop smiling.

"I didn't realize I was going to have this type of reaction," said Steele, 50, while holding back tears.

Patricia Miller, 76, the president of the Tucson House resident council, echoed a lot of the comments by residents who shook off the grogginess of the morning when they were handed their flowers.

"This is the nicest thing that's happened to us in the eight years I've been here," she said.