>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK. THE OWNER OF ONE OF THE LARGEST
MATTRESS COMPANIES IN HOUSTON
IS NOT OPEN ON THE BIGGEST DAYS
FOR MATTRESS SALES.
WHAT HE AND SOME OF HIS STAFF
AR DOING THIS MEMORIAL DAY
INSTEAD OF SELLING THOSE
MATTRESSES.
MATTRESSES. >> FOR SOME MEMORIAL DAY IS AN
EXTRA LONG WEEKEND.
FOR SOME IT'S ANOTHER DAY AT
THE BEACH.
THE BEACH. FOR SOME IT'S GETTING TO CHASE
THAT SALE.
THAT SALE. FOR TEXAS MATTRESS MAKERS AND
MEMORIAL DAY FLOWERS IT'S A DAY
WHERE THEY WANT TO KEEP THE
MEMORY AND THE MEANING OF
MEMORIAL DAY ALIVE.
I'M HERE WITH UVAL AND NICOLE.
ON MEMORIAL DAY YOU TWO ARE
GOING TO BE DOING SOMETHING
SUPER SPECIAL.
SUPER SPECIAL. >> YES, WE ARE.
SO I MET THIS BEAUTIFUL LADY
WITH THE ROSES THROUGH MY
DAUGHTER, ACTUALLY RACHEL.
WHICH YOU KNOW.
WE START A PARTNERED UP WITH
HER AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR
HER TO EXPLAIN WHAT IT'S ALL
ABOUT BECAUSE SHE'S THE ONE
THAT STARTED IT HERE IN
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON. >> THE FOUNDER OF MEMORIAL DAY
FLOWERS CALLED ME ONE DAY WHEN
I WAS WORKING AT A SHOP AND HE
SAID WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE
AWAY 300 ROSES.
THEY'RE FREE.
THEY'RE FREE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS THIS
PARTICULAR THING.
PARTICULAR THING. I SAID SURE.
I WOULD LOVE TO.
WHAT WOULD YOU WANT ME TO DO?
TAKE IT TO THE NATIONAL
CEMETERY ON MEMORIAL DAY AND
JUST PASS THEM OUT.
SHOW THEM THEIR NAMES, SAY
THEIR NAMES OUT LOUD, THEIR
SERVICE THAT THEY DID AND PLACE
THE ROSE ON THEIR GRAVE.
THAT IS FABULOUS.
I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT.
MY DAD WAS A TWICE RETIRED AIR
FORCEMAN AND I ALWAYS WANTED TO
SHOW HIM RESPECT BECAUSE HE WAS
IN VIETNAM AND HE NEVER GOT THE
RESPECT THAT THEY NEEDED IN
VIETNAM.
VIETNAM.
VIETNAM. HE DEPARTMENT COME BACK TO THE
BIG BANDS AND THE CHEERING
CROWDS.
CROWDS.
CROWDS. WHILE HE WAS ALIVE I DID IT AND
HE WAS SO PROUD OF ME.
HE WAS SO PROUD.
>> AND IT'S PRETTY NEAT.
YOU BROUGHT IT TO HOUSTON.
IT STARTED IN ARLINGTON BACK IN
2011.
2011.
2011. YOU
2011. YOU BROUGHT IT TO HOUSTON.
YOU STARTED WITH 500 FLOWERS.
>> 500.
>> 500.
>> 500. >> BUT IT'S GROWN.
THIS YEAR YOU'RE EXPECTING.
>> 13,000 ROSES RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S BEFORE THE WHOLESALE
COMPANIES OF HOUSTON, WHICH ARE
AMAZING, WILL GIVE US THE
DONATIONS.
DONATIONS. I'M THINKING I'M GOING TO GET
15,000 OR MORE.
VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
>> I'M EXCITED.
I LOVE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE A
SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP.
SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP. BOND.
BOND.
BOND. Y'ALL FOUND EACH OTHER THROUGH.
>> WELL.
>> WELL.
>> WELL. I THINK GOD GAVE ME HIM BECAUSE
HE FOUND US.
BECAUSE HE REALLY WANTED TO DO
SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR THIS
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. AND HE WANTED TO BRING MEMORIAL
DAY LIKE THE HASHTAG SAYS.
MEMORIAL DAY MATTERS.
AND IT'S VERY DEAR TO HIS
HEART.
HEART.
HEART. >>
HEART. >> IT IS.
>> IT IS.
>> IT IS. IT'S PART OF A BIG CAMPAIGN.
A PART OF THE WAY YOU THINK AND
RUN YOUR BUSINESS.
YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO BE
CLOSED ON MEMORIAL DAY.
IT'S ABOUT KEEPING THE MEMORY
ALIVE FOR THOSE WHO FAULT, HAVE
FALLEN, HAVE PASSED.
THOSE WHO WE LOVED.
>> BEHIND YOU LOOK.
THESE ARE PEOPLE.
THEY HAVE FAMILIES.
AND SOME OF THEM DON'T AND THE
MERE FACT THAT THIS LADY AND
HER VOLUNTEERS BEFORE I MET
THEM, WHICH I FIND IT
PHENOMENAL THAT SHE TOOK IT
UPON HERSELF AND ALL FOR THE
RIGHT REASONS.
RIGHT REASONS. FOR HER FATHER.
FOR THE RESPECT OF HER FATHER.
THE RESPECT OF HER FATHER'S
SERVICE.
SERVICE.
SERVICE. THERE ARE A LOT OF STONES HERE
THAT DON'T HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS.
SO BY HER AND HER VOLUNTEERS
STANDING IN FRONT OF IT,
READING THEIR NAME AND PUTTING
A FLOWER FOR AN INSTANT OF A
MOMENT THEY'RE BACK INTO OUR
WORLD, IF YOU WOULD LIKE, YOU
KNOW.
KNOW.
KNOW. IT'S DIFFICULT TO TALK WHEN YOU
START CONCENTRATING AT WHAT'S
AROUND YOU.
AROUND YOU. SO BEING WITH HER AND THE ROSES
PROGRAM IS, I COULDN'T HAVE
ASKED FOR A BETTER PROGRAM.
NOW THAT SHE'S MET ME AND SHE
RIGHTFULLY SAID I ALSO BELIEVE
THAT GOD PUT US TOGETHER.
OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE OVER 95,000
ROSES AND VOLUNTEERS.
THAT'S NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR.
IT'S A DOLLAR A ROSE.
VOLUNTEERING IS FREE.
AND I GUARANTEE YOU IF YOU COME
HERE WHEN YOU LEAVE HERE AFTER
MEMORIAL DAY YOU'LL BE A
DIFFERENT PERSON.
DIFFERENT PERSON. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE AT HOME ARE
THINKING HOW CAN I HELP.
BUT PEOPLE CAN VOLUNTEER.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> IF THEY CAN'T VOLUNTEER THEY
CAN ALSO DONATE.
YOU'VE GOT A SHOP IN SPRING.
>> I DO.
>> I DO.
>> I DO. TOWN FLOWERS.
TOWN FLOWERS. >> AND IF THEY DONATE.
>> OH, IF IT THEY DONATE YOU
CAN WIN A GIFT CERTIFICATE TO
TOWN FLOWERS.
TOWN FLOWERS. YES.
YES.
YES. WE'RE AMAZING.
WE'RE AMAZING. >> ANYBODY CAN HELP.
>> ANY AMOUNT.
ANY AMOUNT.
ANY AMOUNT. YOU CAN EITHER CONTACT ME
THROUGH THE FACEBOOK EVENT,
WHICH IS MEMORIAL DAY FLOWERS
2019.
2019.
2019. SEND ME AN E-MAIL.
CALL ME.
CALL ME.
CALL ME. YOU CAN SIGN UP THROUGH THE
WEBSITE.
WEBSITE.
WEBSITE. ANY WAY YOU WANT TO.
OR JUST COME OUT.
>> SHOW UP.
>> PEOPLE CAN ALSO REQUEST A
ROSE FOR THEIR LOVED ONES.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. I
>> YES. I STARTED OUT GIVING JUST
FRIENDS AROUND HOUSTON.
AND THEN I PUT IT ON FACEBOOK
THAT ANYBODY WHO WANTED,
ANYBODY WHO HAD SOMEBODY HERE
AT HOUSTON NATIONAL CEMETERY,
WE WOULD PERSONALLY GO PLACE
THE ROSE ON.
YOU CAN JUST CONTACT ME AND I