Xi Kappa sorority sisters helping sisters fight cancer has blossomed into helping community members battle the disease.
Sorority members decided what better time than Mothers' Day weekend to hold the annual flower sale to benefit United Cancer Assistance Network. The sale will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at Poplar Bluff Realty, Inc., located on North Westwood Boulevard, and continue until noon or until all flowers are sold.
Many area residents wait each year for the sale to buy flowers and "many come to get the flowers for Mother's Day presents, but others just buy them for themselves," Patti Chowning said.
Each year, Xi Kappa has raised more than the year before and according to Chowning, "Our total to UCAN over the last seven years is around $15,000."
Xi Kappa decided to support UCAN because the money stays local and "helps those in need in our own community," she said.
"As we all know, cancer is all too common in our lives," Chowning said. "One of our members is a survivor of ovarian cancer. She has fought, with the help of her friends and family and continues to thrive; two of our members have had breast cancer and survived. We have lost parents, husbands, sisters, brothers, friends and co-workers to cancer. We know the terrible hardships families can face while their loved ones are going through treatment. We wanted to do something that would ease the burden not only on the patients, but on their families and caregivers, as well."
Chowning said, "We knew we wanted to help those in Poplar Bluff and the surrounding area. We originally had a yard sale. Rhenda Hutchison, who is one of our sisters, and a cancer survivor, suggested the flower sale."
When the group decided to sell flowers, the members kept the local factor in mind when purchasing the plants.
"We wanted to help people locally and buy locally. We are able to go to the nursery and hand pick the flowers we want to offer at the sale," Chowning said. "There are many varieties, both in hanging baskets and the large flower bags that can also be hung vertically around porches and pools."
About six to eight Xi Kappa members organize the event and work the day of the sale. To pre-order flowers call 573-718-9482 or find members on Facebook. All checks are to be made to UCAN.
Chowning said, "Xi Kappa is a group of hardworking women, who just want to take the time once a year to show the Poplar Bluff area how much we care. We want people to know that UCAN is a place we support because they are helping people every day who are fighting a terrible battle with an illness that knows no boundaries. Young, old, rich, poor - cancer doesn't care. If you have ever been in the position of being a caregiver to one who is fighting this disease, you need to know UCAN is there to help you and we just want to help UCAN. Please help us support UCAN and purchase a hanging basket/bag of flowers on Saturday."