Wednesday to be rosy in Greencastle and Putnam County

Everything will be coming up roses on Wednesday, Sept. 11, as the Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce and a number of local businesses again sponsor Friendship Day.

Approximately 11,000 roses will be given away in dozens with one stipulation, that those who pick up the roses, keep only one for themselves to enjoy and give the 11 other roses to 11 other people.

The dozens of roses may be picked up at any of the sponsor locations: Eitel's Florist, Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce, Asbury Towers Retirement Community, At Home Realty LLC, Bittles & Hurt/Hopkins-Rector Funeral Homes, First National Bank, Ivy Tech Community College, MetroNet and Wabash Valley Goodwill Industries.

The roses will be available at most of the sponsor locations starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

The sponsors of the event are once again requesting that when picking up free dozen roses, participants drop off a canned food item so that it may be donated to the Putnam County Emergency Food Pantry.

The pantry is currently in need of macaroni and cheese, pork and beans, corn, green beans, peaches, pears, canned meats, instant potatoes and canned soups, including vegetable, bean and bacon or chicken noodle.

For the pantry to accept the items, the dates have to be six months or more away from the best used by date on the cans or three months on the packaged items.

The roses will be available at most of the sponsor locations starting at 8 a.m. on Sept. 11. Each year the roses go faster, so the sponsors want to remind everyone to come as early as possible, before they are all gone.