Honor mothers, support cancer patients at flower sale

The 14th annual Xi Kappa Flower Sale benefiting the United Cancer Assistance Network will be Saturday, May 13, at Poplar Bluff Realty on Highway 67 North. This year’s flower sale will begin at 8 a.m. and end at noon, unless sold out early.

The event is planned each year, rain or shine, because “cancer is a devastating disease,” said sorority member Karen Coleman. “Several of our members’ loved ones have passed away with cancer, while some have battled the disease themselves. When I started helping, we hadn’t lost anybody in my family from cancer,” but since then she’s lost her brother and other family members to cancer.

All flowers are locally grown at an area nursery and chosen especially for this sale by Xi Kappa members. There will be a colorful array of 10-inch hanging baskets of flowers, with each being sold for $25.

Coleman said if basket are pre-ordered, “We also deliver.”

Mother’s Day is a special time in everyone’s life, Coleman said, and the Xi Kappa sorority has helped honor mothers, as well as cancer patients, for years. The Xi Kappa Flower Sale offers community members an opportunity to help the patients and their families.

Sorority members have raised several thousands dollars for UCAN through the sale and Coleman said, “I’m glad all proceeds stay here in town and go to UCAN.”

The group credits Rhenda Hutchison, who is a sorority member, an agent for Poplar Bluff Realty, Inc. and a cancer survivor, with the idea of having a flower sale for Mother’s Day as a fundraiser each year.

“Since I have been in the business before, it just automatically comes to mind. It’s done so well, every year we keep on doing it and we’ve been doing really well, so there’s no reason to stop,” Hutchison said.

Sorority members describe Xi Kappa as a group of hard working women who want to take the time once a year to show the Poplar Bluff area how much they care.

Members say they wanted to do something that would ease the burden not only on the patients, but on their families and caregivers as well.

Hutchison explained she and others who also had cancer know there’s a need for money to be raised to give out to those who can’t afford to make the trips back and forth to St. Louis, or for the treatments. This is a good way to give back to them, to help them out.

Hutchison is pleased Poplar Bluff Realty Inc. allows the sorority to have the sale at the business each year.

“Flowers always are a perfect gift, but when you buy them at the benefit, the money will be helping cancer patients and their families,” UCAN Executive Director Melody Chailland said. “They do all the work, and we get all the proceeds.”

Money provided by events like the sorority’s sale help UCAN provide individualized support for area cancer patients to ease the burdens brought about in the wake of a cancer diagnosis and enhance the quality of life for those experiencing it. Services include nutritional supplements, prescription expenses, transportation assistance, medical supplies and some financial aid to support activities of daily living such as utility bills, food and household items.

The day of the event, all sales are cash or checks. Pre-orders may be paid with debit or credit cards. For further information or to pre-order, check Facebook, contact UCAN at 573-776-1892 or Chris Waite at 573 -718-9482 or cwaite@boycomonline.com.