Plant a Flower - Fight Breast Cancer

by Doug
(Somewhere Out in Lake Ontario)

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in North American women. It has touched most of our families in one way or other and here's what one nursery is doing. I'd like you to find these plants this year and buy them. One - they're great plants and Two - there's a payoff for all of us when you put them in your garden.

In 2002 Walters Gardens, Inc. started a program with Hosta ‘Remember Me’ to help support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, an organization with a mission to eradicate breast cancer as a life threatening disease by advancing research, education, screening,and treatment.

Demonstrating how prevalent breast cancer is among women today, another Walters Gardens, Inc. employee, Laurel Hall, was diagnosed with the disease in May of 2003.

Because of the valuable research efforts of organizations like the Komen Foundation, Laurel has a clean bill of health today. During her process of healing, she developed the idea for adding a new plant to our program, one that would be named in honor of breast cancer survivors.


Working together with Terra Nova Nurseries, Walters Gardens, Inc. jointly introduced Echinacea ‘Hope’ PPAF—Echinacea for healing, “Hope” that through research a cure for the disease will be found, and pink to signify the banner color of breast cancer research. To date, over $4,500 has been donated to the Grand Rapids, MI affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation from this plant alone.

By donating .25 for each of their special pink ribbon plants, Walters Gardens Inc. has donated $16,000 to date to our local Susan G. Komen Affiliate. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was founded in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died of breast cancer at the age of 36. Nancy promised herself she would fulfill Suzy’s plea to help others confronted with the disease.