BY LEW MOORES
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HARRISON -- Tom Underwood dropped by not long after the floral shop had opened. He soon emerged with a dozen roses wrapped in cellophane.
"I'm going to take these over to the rest home," he said, referring to a nursing home in North College Hill. "I'm going to take them over to the nurses there."
His mother-in-law died there just last week, and he wanted to show his appreciation to the nurses and staff for their care, he said.
So he stopped in at Hiatt's Florist, where for the second straight year the shop has observed Good Neighbor Day, handing out 6,000 free roses in bunches of a dozen each to anyone who walked through its doors Wednesday.
Mr. Underwood said he would hand out the roses one at a time at the nursing home.
That's the whole idea behind Good Neighbor Day, said Matt Hiatt, who runs the Stone Road floral shop with his family.
Visitors are encouraged to pick up a dozen roses, free, and share them with neighbors, relatives, friends, even strangers. The shop wants to foster some good old-fashioned community spirit and neighborliness.
About 1,500 florists in the United States and Canada participated in the event, Mr. Hiatt said.
In less than three hours Wednesday, all 6,000 roses were given away.
More than 100 people were lined up as the shop opened.
About a half-dozen volunteers from the Harrison senior citizens center helped out.
"It's such a nice thing you're doing," one woman told Ben Hiatt, Matt's father, as she walked into the shop.
Lydia Miller of New Baltimore arrived shortly after the shop opened. She's a bus driver for the Southwest Local School District. "I'm giving them to friends, and especially other bus drivers," Ms. Miller said.
"That and special teachers," said Nancy Whitney, a fellow driver.
Alice Riehle, who lives in Harrison, stopped by with close friends and neighbors in mind to share her roses with. Dave Grimm, also of Harrison, said the roses would make a good antidote to his dental visit that day, and a nice gesture for his wife.
The expense -- about $2,000 -- is borne by the store.
