Now that the 2010 Olympics is over it’s time for Vancouver to host the Paralympics' Games. The Paralympics are elite sporting events for athletes with disabilities…with the emphasis put on the athletes’ abilities and achievements rather than on their disabilities. These remarkable athletes are an inspiration to us all and they all deserve a bouquet of flowers!!
Speaking of flowers…weren’t the bouquets handed out at this years’ Olympics gorgeous!! I LOVED them! They were beautiful in an elegant, understated way…AND green is my favourite colour!
Here’s some Olympic/Paralympics Bouquet trivia…
Did you know that… all of the flowers in these bouquets are native to B.C. and Canada-they can and do grow in the summer months but because it is winter they needed to be shipped in from hot houses and from Ecuador.
Did you know that the two florists -Just Beginnings in Surrey, BC and Maritta’s Flowers in N. Vancouver put together 23 sample bouquets before this one was selected by the Vancouver Olympic Committee!
Did you know…for the 2010 Winter Games, 1,800 bouquets in total were made (and will be made) with 1,707 awarded to athletes (1,055 Olympic and 652 Paralympics). All of the flowers and greens were carefully hand selected and shaped into the bouquets by marginalized women, who may be recovering from addiction, leaving prison, exiting the sex trade, or who have been victims of violence, as well as by other women they train with who are changing careers to become florists.
Did you know…The athlete bouquets are a required element for Victory Ceremonies by the IOC at all Winter Games. At Summer Games, medal-winning athletes receive a bouquet, as well as an olive wreath. Under IOC technical and protocol rules, the bouquets must be 20 centimetres to 30 cm in length and about 25 cm in diameter.
Did you know…flowers and greenery with little fragrance and pollen count are generally preferred since they lessen the chance of allergic reactions. VANOC wanted to wrap the bouquets in dried cedar but learned some people can have severe reactions to the oil found in the bark so the idea was nixed. Long stems of grey and white pussy willows, known for their furry catkins, that grow wild across the country were also considered but dropped because of safety issues ¯ when a bouquet is tossed into the crowd it could cause injury if it contains pointy materials. (OUCH!) The longevity and durability of the bouquet and the hardiness of the greenery in wintery conditions for an extended period of time were also determining factors in the selection.
So when you watch the Paralympics athlete receive their gorgeous green bouquets you will hopefully have a new found respect for not only these remarkable athletes but also the bouquets that they are holding!
GIVE AWAY SPOTTED!! I discovered a new blogger last night! Jasmine from Banaghaisge is having an amazing blogaversary Give Away! She made this gorgeous quilt and she is planning on giving it away to some lucky blogger!! Imagine parting with this incredible quilt!! Who knows you just might win it…
..so hop on over, enter to win and while you’re there take a look around Australia!! That’s were Jasmine lives.
Have a super Saturday and Happy Quilting!
That was a very nice post! It will help a lot of people to understand that we weren't giving each athlete a stalk of broccoli for a post-race snack, hehe.
ReplyDeleteFascinating! What kind of flowers are they? I had no idea so much went into the selection process.
ReplyDeleteI was amazed at all the criteria that had to be considered when designing the bouquets. I suppose I just thought someone just made up what they liked and that was that.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading about the bouquets, thanks for sharing.
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