Girl Scouts Help Florists Bring Smiles To Area Veterans

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Local Girl Scouts and florists spent part of Sunday morning helping design more than 600 bouquets that will be delivered this week to patients at the VA Medical Center in Los Angeles.

CBS2's Joy Benedict visited the headquarters of the floral wire service Teleflora, where the work to assemble mums, daisies, lilies and carnations in giant mugs brought lots of joy to those making the bouquets as well.

"We're making flowers for veterans," said Cerys Davies, one of the dozens of Scouts who either arranged bouquets or will help deliver the flowers to veterans on Tuesday. "I did this last year, and every year we decide to help veterans by making them smile since they're in the hospital."

"There's nothing like bringing a floral arrangement to someone and seeing the joy that comes over their face," said Bruce Wataru of Fanny's Flowers in Temple City, one of the local sponsors of the effort, part of Teleflora's "Make Someone Smile Week."

Organizers say hospitalized veterans deserve the flowers since they don't get a lot of visitors.

Nationally, Teleflora expects that 25,000 bouquets will be delivered to hospital patients, nursing home residents, Meals on Wheels recipients and others in need of a smile.

All of the flowers are donated by local growers, Teleflora provides the mugs and volunteers design the arrangements, which is why each looks different.

"I like how you get to choose your flowers and put them all together," Cerys said.