For February, FHHS’s Red Cross Club has built a strong tradition of selling roses for students to deliver on Valentine’s Day. Students and teachers can purchase roses for a friend, partner, or peer at the school and have them delivered within a specific time frame, allowing the recipient to be surprised with a gift at any time from 1 to 8. Purchasers may also obtain a free card to write a message on and have it delivered along with the rose.
Since this year’s Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday, the Red Cross Club has come up with an innovative way to celebrate and execute this fundraiser. The week before & the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, there will be a pre-sale, where club members accept money from students and teachers to secure their purchase before the actual fundraiser, whether it be a single flower or a bouquet. On the day before Valentine’s Day, the Friday of that week, the club will physically deliver the roses, allowing a fun and smooth transition into the Mid-winter break. Members of the club are even delegated certain programs and departments, such as the English office, APS, sports teams, and coaches.
In the previous year, the Red Cross Club donated the profit from the Valentine’s Day fundraiser to the American Red Cross, which focused on fostering rehabilitation and recovery of the environment after the L.A. wildfires. This year, they plan to hold a club vote to decide where to allocate funds. Typically, the club makes a $1,000 donation to any organization that they choose.
Ms. Seiden, the official advisor of the Red Cross Club, says, “We’ve done [the fundraiser] every single year for over 10 years, so that’s why it’s our thing.”
When asked about this year’s fundraising, she answers, “This year, the one thing we did differently was offering the bouquets. I piloted it last year, and just one teacher bought one. This year, we had 12.”
Ms. Seiden also elaborates on her motive behind being the Red Cross Club advisor, “I remember fundraising in high school as a student, and then once I saw that there was a club available that was doing similar fundraising, I was like, okay, this is the right fit for me. ”
Elman Hasan, the president of Red Cross Club, also shares some insight. She states, “I individually sold 170 roses, and then the rest of the pre-sellers, which were another nine, also sold a bunch of roses, and that’s how we got to the 500.”
On a sentimental note, Elman continues, “Valentine’s Day isn’t just for the couples, it’s for your friends. It’s for everyone. So, I think it’s really exciting that we can give roses to other people and make everyone happy.”
Anahita Hassan, a recipient of multiple roses, says, “My friends gave me most of my roses. Ever since I found out about the fundraiser, my friends and I started a tradition of buying roses for each other. It’s just a nice way to make us feel appreciated and loved.”
Overall, the Red Cross club has successfully run its fundraiser for 2026, and will aim to keep the tradition alive as Valentine’s Day spreads love. As Ms. Seiden states, “It feels good when you help someone.”
