In celebration of Valentine’s Day, this year the Rosebuds Junior Garden Club will be selling carnations to raise funds that will benefit local pediatric facilities in Texarkana.

Members of Rosebuds will have the order forms for the flowers in the cafeteria on Feb. 2-6 during all lunches. Students can request that they be sent to any person at the school when the carnations are distributed on Friday, Feb. 13.

“I think [selling the carnations] will have a wonderful effect and make people actually think about local community volunteering and donations,” Rosebuds sponsor Kimberly Downs said. “A lot of times I think we think about children’s hospitals and places like St. Jude’s. Don’t get me wrong, they’re awesome, but I think we can still serve our local hospitals as well.”

The club does not currently know exactly which hospital they will donate the earnings to, but they have a few ideas.

“It will be going to either Wadley’s pediatrics or St. Michael’s pediatrics,” Downs said. “Depending on how much we get, maybe [we donate to] both.”

To some students, the carnation sales are not only viewed as a way to impact the community, but also as a continuation of tradition.

“I think it will be really exciting for the school because it was an old tradition that is being brought back for the first time in a really long time,” junior Samantha Shoalmire said. “And who doesn’t love giving and receiving flowers?”

Many of the members are optimistic that the event will promote student involvement in the fundraiser.

“I think it will lead to more school participation because it gives kids the opportunity to buy a flower for just $2 and give it to anyone of their choice, could be a crush, a friend or even someone that they probably don’t even know,” junior Brooke Rayburn said. “It’s not mandatory, but I think [the students] will have a lot of fun doing it.”

Students involved in Rosebuds predict that the sale will go well due to it being focused around a holiday.

“It’s just going to be great because it’s around Valentine’s Day, and it gives people something to do,” sophomore Mary Miller said. “With boys and ‘secret admirers’ on the prowl on this holiday, I think they will be easy to sell, and it will be successful.”

Even though the holiday does have romantic underlying pretenses, advocates of the fundraiser are adamant this should not have a large effect.

“It’s a lot of fun to do,” sophomore Mary Claire Paddock said. “You don’t have to send them just to your boyfriend or girlfriend, but to your friends also. Not only are you making an impact in the community, but you’re also involving everyone in what could be considered to be a lonely holiday.”