ALEXANDRIA, VA – The American Floral Endowment (AFE) will wrap up its yearlong 50th-anniversary celebration with a gala fundraising dinner on September 14, 2011. Held in conjunction with the annual convention of the Society of American Florists, the event invites retail florists, wholesalers, growers, and other industry members to unite for a common goal: ensuring the future of the industry through research, grants, and scholarships.
The fundraising dinner will be held at the beautiful Westin Mission Hills in Palm Springs, Calif. More than 200 industry members are expected at the event, which will feature special donor recognitions and a look back at the anniversary year. AFE is celebrating 50 years of funding unparalleled research and education, and will celebrate the hundreds of florists, wholesalers, growers, suppliers and scientists who have worked tirelessly for decades to make the Endowment the industry’s premier research support organization.
Since 1961, AFE has contributed more than $14 million to research projects by top floriculture scientists and has provided more than $400,000 in scholarships and internships that attract and retain the future leaders of the floriculture industry. The fundraising dinner helps offset AFE administrative costs so more funding can be allocated to research, grants, and scholarships. Sponsorships are a great way for companies and suppliers to demonstrate their commitment to the advancement of the field; opportunities are available for $500 and up.
“The research that AFE funds and the scholarships AFE provides are vital to the future success of the industry,” says AFE Chairman Tom Butler. “AFE-funded research covers everything from appearance and longevity, production technologies, to pest management and disease control. This research is vital in lowering grower production costs, meeting consumer demand for high-quality products and increasing profitability for everyone.”
To register for the September 14th dinner, become a dinner sponsor, or to make a general contribution to AFE, contact Debi Aker at daker@afeendowment.org, (703) 838-5211.
For more information, visit www.endowment.org.
About AFE:
Founded in 1961, the American Floral Endowment is an independent non-profit organization that funds research, educational grants, and scholarships in floriculture and environmental horticulture for the benefit of growers, wholesalers, retailers, allied industry organizations, and the general public.
Source: American Floral Endowment
