Owings Mills Fifth Graders Use Flower Power To Deliver Smiles

Owings Mills residents Lexi Thomas and Abby Levin, both almost 10 years old, started 'Flowers for Powers' to bring smiles to those who are sick and elderly.

Lexi and Abby said they were jumping on the trampoline this spring when they saw some beautiful flowers. Abby, who lost a grandmother to ALS said that her grandmother would have loved to have gotten flowers like that when she was ill. The two girls were inspired to use flowers to make those fighting cancer and the elderly, smile.

"Sometimes people try to give us money when we deliver flowers to them, but we tell them it's not about that, a smile is payment enough," Abby told Patch.

In the past six months the Owings Mills fifth graders have built a relationship with a local florist who donates flowers for their bouquets. The enthusiastic duo spend several hours a week putting together the arrangements and delivering them to patients at GMBC, Sinai Hospital, The Hackerman Patz House and several nursing homes.

With the help of their moms, Lexi and Abby have started a website and Facebook page to let people know what they're doing, and so that people can make donations. The donations, according to Lexi's mom, go to sponsor local events such as "Believe Big" with Johns Hopkins pediatric oncology dept., and to help the girls buy supplies for their floral deliveries.

"It's like heaven getting to do this with a friend," Abby said.

The girls said that they are happy with what they are doing now, but they have intentions to grow the organization.

"We want to get bigger and do more," Abby said. "We want to help people everywhere."

Sherri Thomas and Lisa Levin, the girls' moms, said they are proud of their daughters for being so motivated to positively impact other people.

"We couldn't be any prouder of our girls," Thomas told Patch. "From the moment they walk into a transfusion center, to the moment they walk out, they bring nothing but healing powers and smiles, one flower at a time."

Visit the Flowers for Powers facebook page and website to learn more about the girls and to make donations or buy a t-shirt.