For the last 10 years, through rain, sleet, snow, or dead of night, 150 3-foot tall poinsettia plants miraculously show up on the doorsteps of Danville Community College Educational Foundation (DCCEF) donors, stakeholders, partners, and board members across the college’s service region (City of Danville, Halifax County and Pittsylvania County), just in time for the Holiday Season.
“It’s one of the weeks we enjoy the most throughout the year,” said Shannon Hair, Vice President of Institutional Advancement & Development and Executive Director of the DCCEF. “Every year, we rent a 26-foot U-Haul truck and spend a full week picking up load after load of these beautiful poinsettias and delivering them to our many supporters to remind them of how much we appreciate their generosity and friendship throughout the year.”
Every day during the last week of November or the first week of December, the DCCEF team, consisting of Shannon Hair and Cheryl Hill, Coordinator of Institutional Advancement, travels to poinsettia growers, Wootton Brothers Greenhouse, in Chase City, Virginia to pick up loads of poinsettias to deliver across Southside Virginia.
“We are proud to be able to work with Shannon Hair and Cheryl Hill to provide as many poinsettias as they need to complete this wonderful project,” said Beverly Jones, co-owner of Wootton Brothers Greenhouse. “We know how much this means to the DCC Educational Foundation and their constituents.”
The poinsettias, which come in an array of colors ranging from fuschia and bright pink, to deep, traditional reds and burgundy, are known to symbolize goodwill and community spirit, a fitting tribute to those who have supported the DCC Educational Foundation throughout the year.
“We appreciate the DCC Educational Foundation visiting us and bringing beautiful poinsettias for our office to enjoy this Holiday Season,” said Crystal Hairston, Director of Operations for the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce. “As always, we wholeheartedly appreciate the work this organization is doing throughout the community and we are forever grateful for our partnership! “
“We would like to thank the DCC Educational Foundation for their generosity in adorning Hitachi Energy with the spirit of the season,” said Ryland Clark, Community Relations & Engagement Manager for Hitachi Energy. “This thoughtful gesture brightens our space and warms our hearts."
“We look forward to Shannon and Cheryl’s delivery each year,” said Elizabeth Ware, Broker at Elizabeth Ware Realtors. “The poinsettias are always beautiful and makes our office a little more festive! We cherish the relationship we have with DCC, and look forward to working with them in the future as our community continues to grow.”
At the conclusion of the week, the DCCEF team makes a final run to secure enough poinsettias to decorate Foundation Hall for the myriad of holiday parties that will occur on the DCC campus during December
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