Oceanside business owner donates roses to South Nassau Communities Hospital patients for Valentine’s Day

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Mike Graham said he anticipated his Flowers by Mike shop to be busy preparing for its first Valentine’s Day rush, but that didn’t stop him from dedicating two to three hours to preparing and donating 350 roses to patients at South Nassau Communities Hospital on the holiday.
“I always personally felt bad for people on holidays when they’re in a hospital and can’t be with their families,” Graham said before the big day. “It’s just something that allows me to give back to my local hospital. Let’s make some people smile.”
Graham said he and two to three employees were set to prepare 350 roses, and then deliver them to South Nassau on Valentine’s Day morning. When patients received their lunch that afternoon, a single rose was placed on their tray.
“South Nassau is very active in the community, not only with our neighbors, but with the local businesses,” said Dana Sanneman, executive director of public affairs at SNCH, “and I was happy to welcome him as a new business and we’re grateful for his donation.”
Graham opened the business in January and said he was brainstorming many ideas on how to give back to his community. He said that the Valentine’s Day effort was just one of many plans he intends to implement. He noted that he contacted South Nassau’s public relations department and the plans were set in motion very quickly after that.
“These people are in a hospital on Valentine’s Day,” Graham said. “They can’t be out to dinner, they can’t be out to a movie and some of them can’t be with their loved ones. I thought we could cheer them up.”