Members of the Coeur d'Alene Rotary Club kicked off their annual Rose Sale at their weekly meeting Friday at The Coeur d'Alene Resort. 

Rose Sale Committee members galloped through the lunch tables on inflatable horses to stir up enthusiasm among members. The club aims to sell 1,500 dozen roses and raise more than $50,000.

Rotary Club members split into teams, each led by a captain who will compete to raise the most funds. The winning team receives a trophy, while the losing team receives a decorated toilet seat. The theme for this year's Rose Sale is "Saddle Up," and each team chose a horse-themed name. 

Paul Amador's team is called "The Floral Horsemen of the Rose-pocalypse."

"We're the nicer, country cousin to the four horsemen of the apocalypse," Amador joked. "We get to bring trust, benevolence, and goodwill. Things like that."

Funds raised through the Rose Sale will support scholarships for students and grants for nonprofits. Previous recipients have included the Boys & Girls Club, the Museum of North Idaho, Safe Start, Excel Foundation and Cd'A Summer Theatre. Funds raised during this year’s sale will be distributed to a new group of recipients next year.

"It's a great way to participate in raising money for the community, and we give back to a lot of really amazing causes," Amador said. "We live in an amazing place, so who wouldn't want to give back?"

The annual Rose Sale is the Coeur d'Alene Rotary Club's largest fundraiser. The late Paul Anderson, who served as Rotary Club president from 1990 to 1991, launched it more than 20 years ago. Since then, the sale has raised increasing net proceeds. In 2025, it set a record by selling 1,548 dozen roses and generating more than $55,000 in net proceeds.

"Last year was kind of a record-breaking year," said Rotary Rose Sale co-chair Ashley Lenz. "We hadn't anticipated crossing over that 15 hundred dozen, but we did. It was quite a pleasant surprise."

Rotary Rose Sale co-chairs Ashley Lenz, Carla Cicero and Jody Azevedo are hoping for another record-breaking year as the Coeur d'Alene Rotary Club continues to add new members. Lenz attributed the increase in sales to greater member awareness, as well as the option to donate roses to nonprofits instead of keeping them.

"Sometimes people buy 10 dozen roses, but might not have 10 people to give them to, so I think having that option has increased sales," Azevedo said.

Last year, the Rotary Club sent dozens of roses to Kootenai Health, where nurses distributed them to new mothers in the maternity ward. The club also sent roses to North Idaho Hospice patients.

"The thought of that just warms your heart," said Lenz, "that people are delighted with these roses."

Roses are available for $30 per dozen online at cdarotaryroses.auctria.events. Red, pink, yellow and orange roses are available this year. Donors can also become Patron Sponsors by contributing $1,000 in exchange for 25 dozen roses. Orders are due by Oct. 15, and flowers will be delivered Oct. 23.

    Ashley Lenz speaks to Rotary Club members about the Rotary Rose Sale at The Coeur d'Alene Resort on Friday.
  

    Members of the Rotary Rose Sale committee ride up on inflatable horses to spur enthusiasm for raising funds at the Rotary Club meeting on Friday at The Coeur d'Alene Resort.