Azaleas Distributed in 18th Annual Celebration AJ Fletcher Award Winners Announced

On Saturday, October 4, 2003, azaleas were distributed for the 18th Annual WRAL Azalea Celebration. North Carolina non-profits applied for the plants with their landscaping ideas to use them to beautify their properties, and winners picked up their azaleas from Capitol Broadcasting Company's nurseries.

The Garden Club of NC won the AJ Fletcher 1st Place Award. CBC's Tim Grissom (center) made the presentation.

El Bethel United Church took 2nd place, along with a cash award and more plants for their landscaping.

CBC Property Management raises the azaleas at the Transmitter site in Auburn, giving away 10,000 plants at the 18th Annual Celebration.

WRAL-TV also presented the A.J. Fletcher Awards to organizations who received azaleas in the past and have maintained their projects using the plants. Three years after receiving azaleas through the WRAL Azalea Celebration, organizations are eligible to compete for these awards. A plaque, cash & additional azaleas were presented the following winners:

• 1st place - The Garden Club of N.C. for the Martha Franck Fragrance Garden in Raleigh received $500 & 100 azaleas
• 2nd place - El Bethel United Church in Kings Mountain received $200 & 50 azaleas
• 3rd place - Tommy's Road Elementary School in Goldsboro received $100 & 25 azaleas

Keep N.C. Clean & Beautiful, Inc., WRAL-TV 5 & MIX 101.5 WRAL-FM sponsor the WRAL Azalea Celebration each year. The project supports non-profits in working together to enhance community appearance by establishing well-maintained & continuous projects.

Non-profit organizations from across the state entered to win azaleas.

All winning planners came to pick up their plants on Saturday, Oct 4th.

10,000 plants were distributed in the 2003 celebration. Capitol Broadcasting Company's Property Management staff raises the plants from cuttings from the azaleas in the WRAL Gardens. A.J. Fletcher, founder of CBC, developed the gardens and opened them to the public in 1959. Over 180,000 azaleas have been given away over the past 18 years through the celebration.

10,000 azaleas were distributed.

The sunny weather made a perfect backdrop.

Thanks to CBC's Tim Grissom for these capcom photos.

POSTED: October 16, 2003