Help us honor the incredible life of Virginia Hollis by creating a rose that will bloom in her name for generations to come.

(We are keeping this a secret to surprise the family so keep this VERY quiet please)!

Dear Friends,

Virginia Hollis lived eight extraordinary years filled with adventure, creativity, and boundless joy. She traveled to Italy at eight weeks old, explored Europe as a toddler, conquered mountains in Austria, and found magic in everything from piano compositions to horseback riding. Virginia was an artist, a cowgirl, a composer, and above all, a bright light who touched everyone she met.

We have a meaningful opportunity to honor Virginia’s memory through something lasting and beautiful. In partnership with the Antique Rose Emporium (ARE), we’re securing naming rights to a new rose cultivar, “Virginia’s Song”—a living tribute that will grow in gardens for generations to come.

Why a rose? Because Virginia brought beauty and creativity into everything she touched. She wrote her own piano compositions (a nod to the name), painted award-winning artwork, and carried a sense of joy that lifted everyone around her. A rose reflects that same spirit—delicate, strong, quietly powerful—and gives us a way to carry her memory forward, season after season.

Through the renowned Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham, TX, we're naming cultivar from a recently created rose "Virginia's Song", a hybrid bracteata shrub rose with soft white-to-blush blooms, a delicate wild rose scent, and a low, spreading habit ideal for gardens and landscapes. It’s very heat-tolerant, disease-resistant, and thrives in USDA Zones 5–10, making it well-suited to grow across much of the United States and internationally.

This rose is a super bloomer that should thrive from fall to spring, and most especially over Virginia’s birthday on March 23rd every year.

One day, these roses will grow in gardens across Texas, the Northeast, Florida, even Italy—places that mattered deeply to Virginia and her family. Each plant will carry her name, her story, and the joy she brought into the world. Whether blooming in a family garden or passed down to future generations, Virginia’s Song will serve as a quiet, living reminder of a remarkable girl and the beauty she shared with all of us.

Creating a named rose variety requires cultivating thousands of specimens to develop the perfect bloom. It's a meticulous process that takes years, fitting for someone as special as Virginia.

We are raising funds to make this tribute possible through the Antique Rose Emporium, one of the top rose purveyors in the country for preserving and propagating historic and heirloom roses. Your contribution will help cover:

We will gift 12 of the first "Virginia's Song" roses to the Hollis family, and offer the first 28 to those who contribute $275 or more as a thank-you for helping bring this tribute to life. For each donation of $275 (the first 28), you will receive one of these early rose plants to grow in Virginia's memory or have it sent to wherever you choose (stateside!).

Importantly, the rose will also be available for purchase from the Antique Rose Emporium in future seasons, allowing others (family, friends, and rose lovers alike) to plant a piece of Virginia's legacy in their own gardens for years to come. Any additional proceeds from this fundraiser will go to the Virginia Hollis Foundation, a charitable initiative being created to continue supporting causes close to her heart.

This is a one-time campaign among close friends and community members. If you'd like to be a Rose Sponsor or help in any way, we'd be honored to include you in this tribute. Whether through a donation, helping us spread the word, or joining us at the dedication event (a TBD date at the Rose Emporium later this fall), your support ensures that Virginia's memory will continue to blossom, literally and symbolically.

This memorial will bloom long after we're all gone, ensuring that Virginia's joy, creativity, and adventurous spirit live on in gardens around the world. Every spring around her birthday, when Virginia's Song roses bloom, we'll remember the little girl who packed a lifetime of wonder into eight beautiful years.

With so much gratitude,

Julia and Phillip Cunningham

Note: This fundraiser is organized by Julia and Phillip Cunningham on behalf of the Hollis family. All funds will be used to secure naming rights and distribute the “Virginia Hollis” rose through the Antique Rose Emporium, host a commemorative event, and contribute any remaining proceeds to the Virginia Hollis Foundation. ARE has approved the rose selection and we are in the process of finalizing the naming agreement. Julia and Phillip will serve as the stewards of these funds and manage all related payments directly. We will provide a detailed receipt for use of proceeds to all donors.