Showing posts with label
Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving.
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Showing posts with label
Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving.
Show all posts
First Lady’s Luncheon flowers displayed proudly
during the Congressional Club’s Open House
Founded in 1908, the original purpose of The Congressional Club was to provide a non-partisan setting for friendships among the spouses of members of the House and Senate in Washington, D.C. An active member is the spouse of a sitting or former Member of Congress, Supreme Court Justice, or Member of the President's Cabinet.
The activities of the Club have changed over the years. What was once a weekly program tea is now a bi-monthly luncheon featuring well-known speakers, musicians, and personalities. Red Cross work has been succeeded by Community Services. The Children's Party has become the family holiday party in December. The Club's largest social event is the annual First Lady's Luncheon, honoring the First Lady.
This month the beautiful American Grown flowers that were the talk of the First Lady’s Luncheon were proudly on display the following day throughout the Congressional Club. About 200 spouses of Members of Congress attended this Open House to support the Club and its fund raising activities. The centerpieces and linens from the Luncheon, as well as other items were sold to raise money for Charity. This year the beneficiary is the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving which is committed to building quality, long-term, home and community-based services.
The Congressional Club is rich in history and tradition, and continues to be a source of great pride to its members.
The Certified American Grown program worked with the Congressional Club’s First Lady's Luncheon Committee to help ensure that 100 percent of the flowers used during this year’s event were American Grown. With beautiful stems of flowers and greens from California, Oregon, Washington, Florida and Virginia, over 200 centerpieces and arrangements were created to fill the Washington Hilton Ballroom.
"This was a tremendous honor and opportunity for America’s flower farmers,” said Kasey Cronquist, administrator of the Certified American Grown program. “We commend the Congressional Club’s decision to seek and source blooms grown here in the United States for such a wonderful tradition of honoring our first lady.”
The bouquets featured beautiful American Grown roses, peonies, stock, tulips, lilies, protea, Bells of Ireland, alstromeria, bupleurum, dianthus, freesia, lisianthus, ranunculus, viburnum, waxflower, ferns, leatherleaf and curly willow.
The centerpieces were designed by Andrea Gagnon of LynnVale Studios, a Certified American Grown farmer, floral designer and American Grown Council member. David Beahm Experiences of New York carried out Gagnon's vision and provided logistical support for this large and prestigious floral installation.
Each year, the luncheon supports a nonprofit of the first lady's choice. Funds raised from this year's event will go to the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, an advocacy, research, education and service unit that provides support for both professional and family caregivers. Centerpieces were purchased by attendees to help raise those funds.
For more on the American Grown Flowers program, go to americangrownflowers.org.
