Valentine's Day has come and gone once again, and single people everywhere are collectively sighing with relief. February 14th is not the easiest day for single men and women, and it's especially challenging for those who can not be with the ones they love. Military spouses and widows try their best to make it through the holiday, but it's definitely a challenging one, to say the least. One man in Spokane, Washington has made it his mission to help widows, military wives, and single women feel the love on Valentine's Day.
29-year-old Seth Stewart started a service called Rose Rush 8 years ago, which services single roses to local women each Valentine's Day. Stewart's goal is to make sure that no woman is forgotten on the holiday. Stewart, with the help of his brothers, sets out in the morning of the holiday to deliver red roses to women who have lost their spouses, or had their significant others deployed overseas. With the help of Facebook, Stewart keeps a list of the names of women who receive a rose each year. Facebook users take to the Rose Rush page weeks up to Valentine's Day to post names of other women who are in need of a delivery.
Stewart and his brothers have delivered around 500 free roses in previous years. This Valentine's Day, they managed to deliver 700 roses to women across the region. Stewart's hope is to continue to expand the operation, and he is driven by the emotional responses of the rose recipients.
Stewart told CNN, "Every single year we do this, there are always one or two women who break down sobbing because it means so much to them." Stewart shared a sweet story about one of this year's deliveries: "One of our deliveries this year was a widow. Her husband passed a few years ago. We were instructed to sign the card from her late Husband: 'Happy Valentine's Day. I love you. -Floyd'.
There's no question that Stewart and his brothers do important work every year. If you would like to support the Rose Rush program, or nominate someone for next year, check out their Facebook page.