Blossoms of Hope Cherrybration Events

In just a few short years, the Blossoms of Hope campaign's Cherrybration Days have bloomed (sorry, couldn't resist) into one of Howard County's signature annual events. This year's edition has more events than ever under the Cherrybration Days banner.

Blossoms of Hope started in 2003 as a cherry tree planting promotion by the Howard County Department of Tourism with the thought of pulling visitors in from the Washington DC Cherry Blossom festival. From the start, however, Blossoms of Hope was also linked with breast cancer awareness and that combination has made it something special. To date, more than 1,300 Kwanzan cherry trees have been planted in parks, public places, alongside roadways and in private developments throughout the county. And, more than $50,000 has been raised for the Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource Center of the Howard County General Hospital. I'm proud to say I was an early donor of a tree at the Western Regional Park. Each year the trees are growing more lovely and adding a touch of grace to the county.

This year's celebration is larger and more diverse than ever, spilling over into May. The Cherrybration Days web site has all the details on the key events, including Pink Plate Specials at local restaurants, a Pink Greens golf tournament on April 20, the Lanterns of Hope parade on April 24, the Howard Life Festival and triathalon on April 26, and much more. Please take the time to learn more about these events and find a way to support at least a few of them if you can.