Hugs Not Hate

To introduce myself, my name is Lane Bockenstedt. I am a student at Utah Valley University, having attended since 2023. With the recent events that happened at Utah Valley University, my friend group and I have started a movement we like to call Hugs not Hate. Over the past couple of days, my co-founder and I have been working tirelessly to try to help those affected by the tragic recent event that took place on campus. We have been working towards a service project for the students and faculty at UVU. Our goal is to pass out flowers to every student on campus on Friday, September 19, and then on Thursday, September 25th. Our goal is to help those affected feel seen and loved by the community at hand. We want to try to get as much coverage on this as possible, so people see the community at UVU as one that rises in the face of challenges and difficulties, but also to show who we are as Utahns. If my current count is accurate, I figure we will have anywhere between 3,500 and 5,000 flowers that we are going to be passing to students on campus on Friday, which have been either donated or purchased using our own funds. All funds donated will be used to purchase flowers and other materials that will be used to serve the community of UVU and the surrounding cities. Any donations will be used to purchase more flowers that will be passed out on Thursday, September 25. Any leftover funds will be distributed throughout other organizations across Utah with similar goals.

I would like to make a list of the different flower shops that have made this a possibility through donations of flowers, and or the discount of the flowers themselves to allow us to spread more love and compassion.

Supporting Companies

Wright Flower Company

Red Mountain

Springville Floral & Gifts

Sweetbriar Cove

Magnolia Blooms Floral & Gift

Olsen’s Garden Shoppe

Bloom and Bramble

Foothill Farm Flowers

Bloomique Flower Studio

Utah Flower Market