Campus & Community

Despite economy, Daffodil Days still comes up roses

1 min read

With good news comes the bad news. This year’s Daffodil Days, held on March 16, raised $51,726 in funds for the American Cancer Society — the first time in its 22-year history that this year’s total did not surpass the previous year’s total ($53,329). However, with the economic downturn taken into consideration, “I still think we did fabulously,” said Daffodil Days coordinator Julie Russell.

Harvard sold 2,320 bouquets; 93 Bear and a Bunches; 524 potted bulbs; and 456 Gifts of Hope. Top sellers this year included Peter Conlin and the Alumni Affairs and Development team who collected $6,430; Maura Kelley at the Law School who sold $2,810; and Martha Foley from the Kennedy School with $2,305.

Also notable is Rita Corkery, a retired Harvard staff member who donates from her home in Arlington, Mass. A breast cancer survivor, Corkery founded Daffodil Days out of her office 22 years ago.