By GARRETT SAGER
Hays Post
This Valentine’s week, Dillons stores and Kroger stores are spreading a little cheer and love by delivering single-stem roses to area retirement homes, hospices, schools and community homes nationwide.
Since late January, Dillons stores in Kansas have been collecting donations by asking its customers to pay a little extra to purchase roses to go toward the charity. This year, 30,000 roses were purchased in Kansas, with 594 roses being bought in Hays. All roses will remain local.
“Dillons is just the middle man,” said Don Koerner, Dillons store manager. “The people of Hays who shop with us, they are the ones who truly are the heroes and the ones who donated.”
Koerner is responsible for giving out the roses in the Hays area, which started Monday at Centennial Towers with deliveries to 125 residents.
“This makes their day. The people here (Centennial Towers) are so appreciative of anything and the people who try to make their day better,” Koerner said.
Jodi Steltz, Centennial Towers manager, said residents always look forward to Valentine’s and begin talking about it weeks before.
“These flowers absolutely mean a lot to these residents. Every single year, they look forward to this,” she said.
Centennial Towers has an annual Valentine’s Party with cakes, cookies and other treats. This year, residents also celebrated the retirement of Don Raider, maintenance man at Centennial Towers for over 20 years.
“This, all around, is just a special day for these residents,” Steltz said.
For Koerner, he has a soft spot for Centennial Towers as his father used to be a resident.
“My dad lived here for four years, and I used to come up and see him and visit with the different residents,” Koerner said. “They are all new residents now, but they are very appreciative of it and a lot of them still shop at Dillons and I see them all the time.”
On Tuesday, Koerner delivered the rest of the flowers to the remaining six locations — Mary Elizabeth Maternity Home, Sterling House Living Center, Via Christi, Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas, HayMed and Windam Place Senior Living.
“Everybody enjoys these flowers. It really is just a nice gesture to give back,” Koerner said.