03/25/08 — Already hard at work early on Monday morning, Phyllis Amolsch holds a bunch of green plants in one hand and a large kitchen knife in the other.

She quickly cuts the bottoms off the stems and places the plants in a bucket of water along with some others — then dutifully reaches for another bunch of untrimmed daffodils from the many boxes nearby. The process is in high gear, and another volunteer hands the plants to

Amolsch who quickly continues her work. She has already filled several buckets with the plants which come in bundles of 10.

Amolsch talks as she worked, explaining that she cuts the ends at an angle so the stems will absorb more water to help the plants stay fresh.

It’s important that the flowers stay fresh since they will be delivered or sold this week throughout the Crawford County area, and the volunteers don’t want the plants to die before they’ve had a chance to bloom into the bright yellow daffodils which are regarded as the first sign of spring — and the symbol of hope for the American Cancer Society.

The Crawford County unit of the ACS hopes to sell 5,200 bunches this week during Daffodil Days. The goal is to raise $27,000 — $1,000 more than last year — with proceeds used for education, research and patient services.

Amolsch, a former Volunteer of the Year for the ACS, knows first-hand the work done by the society for patients. She has had three brothers (two who have since died) and two sisters who have battled cancer.

While Amolsch is cutting the flowers, others are busy preparing cards which will accompany the flowers. The cards tell the recipient “You don’t have to face cancer alone” and give phone numbers for those needing help. With bright yellow and green ribbons, the cards are tied to vases of flowers that also feature the new, small Boyd’s Bea R Bear.

The ribbons are at another work station on this busy assembly line to prepare for the sale. One of those cutting the ribbons Monday morning was Meadville Area Senior High School senior Jess Sowansky, who is helping as her senior project.

Sowansky also has many friends and relatives who have battled the disease. She expects to spend about 20 hours on the project. In previous years, she had helped her mother, Rose, unload the plants, but this was the first time on the ribbon detail.

She also will assist with setting up sale stations later this week.

The biggest problem she was having Monday was untangling the ribbon. But she was good-natured about the project and kept up with others who were then attaching those ribbons to the cards so they could be tied and put with the orders.

Pam Sauers, who was cutting the ribbon for the cards, laughed, noting this was quite different from unloading the flowers, but described herself as a “filler-inner,” doing what needs done. Other helpers included Kim Oliver and Clifford Seibel Jr., who were stringing cards.

Angie Lewis and Lucy Stake, who had worked with Helen Dalton, Mary Hammer and Amolsch on prep work prior to Monday, also were busy. And while those volunteers worked in one area, Susan Howsare and Tina Caldwell, co-chairpersons, were working with others getting ready to have pre-ordered daffodils delivered.

Amolsch said the volunteers pretty much have the work “down to a science,” explaining that the flowers will be transferred from cold to warm water when they are ready to be delivered, bringing out their blooms more fully.

Amolsch will be at Zatsick’s Golden Dawn at Conneaut Lake on Thursday and Friday.

While the campaign officially ends Sunday, Amolsch said next Monday they will make deliveries to Allegheny College students.

She explained the ACS gave parents an opportunity to order the symbol of hope for the students — or receive certificates for pizzas if they’d rather have something to eat.

Surprisingly, she said with a smile, many ordered the symbol of hope with the new Bea R Bear.

It’s one more way the ACS is reaching out to the community to be sure all know about the hope that is offered to cancer patients and their families.



Jean Shanley can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at jshanley@meadvilletribune.com.