Hope Blooms Ohio’s inflatable flowers blossom throughout Lakewood parks: Photos

LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Flowers — albeit oversized, inflatable and illuminated — are currently blooming at various Lakewood locations.

The inflatable garden, which will be on display now through Thursday (April 22) at Wagar Park, City Center Park and Lakewood City Hall, is the product of Hope Blooms Ohio.

Developed by 40 Beachwood High School Marketing/Junior Achievement senior students, the creative marketing campaign is designed to inspire hope and uplift local and global communities through pop-up art installations.

“My class created Hope Blooms Ohio in order to uplift our communities and spread some hope because we felt like it needed a little uplifting,” Beachwood High School Marketing Teacher Greg Perry, who is also the Junior Achievement advisor. “What’s more uplifting than five giant 20 to 30-foot flowers?

“The students then came up with a Hope Blooms Ohio cause, which is trying to raise money to support Greater Cleveland Foodbank and food insecurity.”

As far as finding oversized flowers, Perry said it turned out Brunswick’s Inflatable Images had a handful in storage after previously creating a New York City installation.

“Originally, when we started conceptualizing the idea, we were just going to use six communities that my students come from but then we decided to increase our reach,” Perry said. “We felt that Lakewood was an ideal community for Hope Blooms Ohio.”

This spring the pop-up displays are traveling to roughly half a dozen locations. Hope Blooms Ohio encourages visitors to walk through the inflatable garden, take photos and leave with yard signs.

“In front of Lakewood City Hall and Wagar Park, we put out 250 yard signs,” Perry said. “The point of the yard sign is that it enhances the display but they can take a yard sign home, plant it in their yard and continue spreading hope. There’s a QR code for people to go to our Hope Blooms Ohio website so they can donate.”

The fundraiser is going well so far. While initially the goal was to raise $40,000, that figure has been increased to $50,000 as Hope Blooms Ohio makes its way around Northeast Ohio.

“The reason we did this was because we know we’re in such a challenging time for a lot of people,” Hope Blooms Ohio Student CEO Michael Huss said. “We just wanted to spread joy, bring hope to people and show them there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Times are going to get better.”

Added Student CEO Sofia Caine, “We want people to have their days brightened by our project, which really is just to inspire hope and to make our community a better place.”

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