LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — For members of the Shamrock Heart Foundation of Lackawanna County, St. Patrick's Day starts early in the morning with some volunteer work. They pack up their cars with boxes of green carnations and together deliver them to every hospital, nursing home, and assisted living facility in the county.
"It's just heartwarming because everyone gets involved, and they just keep the tradition going," said Robert Kern, South Abington Township.
Kern organized which drivers went where this year.
Jim Murphy from Scranton helps assemble the bouquets ahead of time and delivers them on St. Patrick's Day. He has been doing it for nearly a decade, but this is the first year his son Stephen is helping out, too.
"I'm happy to be helping out this year as much as I can. Members of my family have been doing it for a while, so I'm happy that it's my turn," Stephen said.
Volunteers with the Shamrock Heart Foundation delivered about 4,000 flowers to 47 facilities across Lackawanna County, including St. Mary's Villa in Elmhurst Township.
"And I dress up as our leprechaun, and I go around, and we pass out to each and every resident in our facility a beautiful carnation, just to get them started for the day. It means so much," said Tom Possinger, the Activities Aid at the nursing home.
While it is a tradition that residents at facilities all over Lackawanna County look forward to every St. Patrick's Day, this year, it means a little more.
"They've been away from their families so long. It's been kind of a long, dreary, snowy winter, so this gives us that little touch; spring is on the way," Possinger said.
The volunteers who sign up to drop off the flowers do not usually get to see the residents' reactions, but the response from staff is what keeps them coming back each year.
"We hear that the people love it. It brings a little smile to their face. It gets the Irish eyes smiling," Jim Murphy said.