Jacksonville International Airport created a lot of good will when volunteers handed out more than 1,000 red, white and pink carnations to travelers on Valentine's Day.

This project began in 2009, when Jacksonville Aviation Authority Deputy Executive Director Ernestine Moody-Robinson decided to thank travelers for using the airport during this "Great Recession."

Since then, flowers have been handed out by the Airport Ambassadors, a group of volunteers on every Mothers Day and Valentine's Day.

According to JAA spokesman Michael Stewart:

"The reaction to receiving a flower is almost always a surprise, then delight - and, more often than you would think, happy tears.

"Some ladies will look at their spouse or boyfriend and say, 'Why didn't you get me flowers?' ...

"One lady stated that she 'travels all over the world for a living and this was the first time an airport had ever done anything like this.'

"For Mother's Day last year, a customer who had recently lost her mother was very emotional at receiving a flower because of the wonderful memories it represented."

This was a very nice gesture - one that is certain to create a lot of goodwill for the city.

Source: http://jacksonville.com/opinion/editorials/2011-02-28/story/three-cheers-prewitts-say-thanks