Every Rose Has Its Thorn — Except WBUR’s
University’s NPR station sells $948K in flowers for Valentine fundraiser
The economy may be moribund, but romance appears to be alive and well. WBUR and Winston Flowers paired up in the last week for a Valentine’s Day fundraiser to benefit BU’s National Public Radio station — and sold nearly $1 million in roses.
For a gift of $150, a donor’s valentine received a dozen long-stemmed roses; a $250 donation came with two dozen long-stemmed roses and chocolates as well. The campaign started February 8 and ended February 13.
“It far exceeded our expectations,” says Paul La Camera (COM’66), WBUR’s general manager. “Last year we sold about 4,200 units, totaling $717,000. As we went into this year, we were of course concerned about the economy. We set a goal of really hoping to match last year’s numbers. In the end, we literally blew by them. We sold 6,000 units, totaling $948,000.”
Of the money raised from the fundraiser, a percentage goes to the station, and a percentage to Winston’s, for the flowers and delivery.
Flowers are big business on Valentine’s Day, the number-one occasion for florists annually. An estimated 214 million roses were produced for Valentine’s Day in 2007, according to the Society of American Florists.
La Camera says the station will repeat the fundraiser on Mother’s Day and next Valentine’s Day. “It’s an absolutely extraordinary achievement for the station and a wonderful testament to our listeners,” he says. “First of all, it’s a great partnership between two great Boston brands, WBUR public radio and Winston Flowers. Secondly, listeners love it because it gives them an opportunity to support the station, and it’s also a convenient way for them to fulfill their Valentine’s obligations.”
Amy Laskowski can be reached at amlaskow@bu.edu.
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