Greg and Amy Royer Continue Family Legacy
Expanding and enhancing support of retail florists – a generous gift of $50,000 has been provided to the American Floral Endowment (AFE)’s Ken and Jean Royer Family Fund. This donation comes from Greg and Amy Royer and matches the planned estate gift from Ken and Jean Royer, who initially established the new fund.
The Ken and Jean Royer Family Fund provides travel grants to support continued education for retail florists and promote attendance and participation at in-person conferences and events. The Royer family has a long history of giving and involvement with AFE. This support continues a multi-generational legacy of giving back to the industry.
Greg Royer is an owner and Chairman of Royer’s Flowers and Gifts in Lebanon, PA. He has been in the retail floral industry for over 45 years. Royer’s Flowers and Gifts operates 17 stores in Central PA and 3 stores in Columbus, Ohio.
Greg first learned of AFE when his father, Ken, was on the board. Supporting AFE has been a long-term effort for the Royers, and Greg is proud to continue the effort. “I know a gift to AFE, and this fund will perpetually give back to the industry and further support the ongoing education of retailers, which strengthens the floral community as a whole,” noted Greg.
Greg has served in many capacities with AFE, giving back his time, talent, and expertise as well. He was appointed to AFE’s Board of Trustees in 2015 and has served on AFE’s Education Committee and Public Relations and Development Committee. Greg became the Education Committee Chair in 2017. Through his time with the Education Committee, he has seen first-hand the impact of AFE’s educational programs and met with recipients who directly benefited. In 2021, Greg took on the additional role of Treasurer/Secretary. As Treasurer, he is also the Chair of the AFE Investment Committee.
While Amy Royer has not been formally involved in the floral industry, she is very much involved in the floral community through attending many industry meetings and conferences with Greg. She devoted her time to teaching and as a director of a church preschool program while also raising their three sons, two of whom became a part of the family’s floral legacy and are now owners and operators in Royer’s Flowers (Central PA) and Connells Maple Lee Flowers (Columbus, Ohio).
As a part of the Royer family’s ongoing impact on the industry, the Ken and Jean Royer Family Fund supports a new travel reimbursement grant that is being offered annually to support traditional retail florists. The annual grant is designed to facilitate ongoing education and networking at industry events, particularly for individuals who might face financial barriers to participation. It assists in defraying the expenses associated with attending educational conferences, which provide essential business development opportunities.
Applicants to this new grant must be first-time attendees of the specific conference they plan to join, and they should either own or work for a traditional brick-and-mortar retail floral shop. Additionally, applicants must be able to cover all upfront costs associated with attending the event.
Following attendance at the approved conference or event, grants will be awarded within 30 days of receiving confirmation of registration and expenses. Each grant will cover half of the conference registration and travel fees, with a maximum award of $2,000.
To learn more and apply for the Ken and Jean Royer Education Travel Grant, click here. The deadline for application is October 1 each year.
