{ flowers for aurora }

flowers for aurora necklaces, available in 10 colors, $15 each at www.annefranklindesigns.com

i woke up on july 20th and it was the last straw for me. after an on-duty police officer (and a single mom) was shot and killed during a jazz concert in a denver park, after so many devastating wildfires that burned so many homes in colorado, after more-than-usual summer violence, we woke up on the morning of the 20th to learn of the worst shooting in history at the aurora movie theater just miles from my home.

i felt like i had stood by and watched the horrible events as they occurred earlier in the summer, and the helpless feeling of knowing i really couldn't do much to help the victims of these tragedies was too much. the next day, on a run (where i come up with most of my ideas), i knew i had to do SOMETHING. even if it wasn't much. and with that, the {flowers for aurora} initiative was born!

it's simple. during the month of august, {afd} will keep 50% from the sale of each {flowers for aurora} necklace ($7.50 per necklace) and on september 1st, we'll donate to givingfirst.org, which is a colorado-based community foundation whose mission is to improve quality of life by increasing community generosity and involvement. our donation will benefit the aurora shooting victims, and the groups and organizations directly affected by this tragedy.

our goal is to sell 100 necklaces by the end of august, so we can donate $750! and you can help. head over to our website, and purchase one (or ten) necklaces. you'll have some cute gifts on hand, and you'll be making a difference at the same time. also, PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS! simply forward this post or share our facebook status with your online friends. if you spread the word to just a few people, it will make a difference.

please and thank you.