Join us in celebrating AFE's First 50 Years of funding unparalleled research and education during our annual Fundraising dinner, September 22 in Orlando. The fundraising dinner, held annually in conjunction with the Society of American Florists' annual convention, will honor the thousands of florists, wholesalers, growers, suppliers and scientists who have worked tirelessly for decades to make the Endowment the industry’s premier research support organization.
“In the history of AFE, more than 5,000 individuals and organizations have contributed to AFE’s mission,” said AFE Chairman-Elect and Development Committee Chairman Tom Butler of Teleflora in Oklahoma City.
Since 1961, AFE has raised more than $10 million through voluntary industry contributions, which in turn has allowed funding of $14 million toward research, and more than $300,000 in educational and scholarship opportunities.
Gus De Hertogh, Ph.D., the Endowment’s research coordinator and a previous recipient of AFE funding, said the group currently helps support about a dozen projects a year — research that addresses a diverse range of topics from insect and disease management, plant breeding and genetics, production technology, production and post-production protocols, and consumer behavior. This research is conducted by top floricultural scientists from many top-notch universities including Cornell University, The Ohio State University, the University of Florida, the University of California-Davis, Purdue University, North Carolina State University, Texas A & M University, and Michigan State University.
“By funding scientific research, scholarships and internships, the Endowment benefits the entire industry,” said Red Kennicott, AAF, Endowment chairman and CEO of Kennicott Brothers Company in Chicago. “AFE-funded scientific research helps growers produce higher quality products more efficiently and, ultimately, to deliver them to consumers through industry channels.”
AFE-supported research has tackled challenges specific to each industry segment by helping growers reduce production costs, meeting consumer demand for higher quality products, and increasing profitability throughout the distribution chain. In recent years, the Endowment also has made significant strides in making its research accessible to the industry, researchers and the general public. Results from more than 120 research projects are posted on the Endowment’s web site. Today, AFE funds more than 20 scholarships, ranging from $500 to $4,000, and competitive awards are presented each year to some of the country’s top college students.
“The floral industry is no longer “your father’s flower business,” Kennicott said. “We all face changes – new competitors, tough economies — that impact our businesses, but we’re lucky to have an organization like AFE that’s ready to fund research that helps us all.”
“AFE contributions come in all sizes, and every dollar counts,” said AFE manager Debi Aker. As the Endowment celebrates its landmark anniversary this September in Florida, Kennicott said he hopes this message – that every dollar counts – will take hold and help ensure another half century of targeted, industry-supported, proactive research.
To register for AFE’s 50th Anniversary dinner on September 22nd, become a dinner sponsor, or to make a general contribution to AFE, contact Debi Aker at daker@endowment.org, (703) 838-5211.
Source: American Floral Endowment