WRAL Azalea Gardens - Azalea Celebration

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Azalea Celebration

Applications Now Being Accepted for 2009 WRAL Azalea Celebration

This is the 24th year of the WRAL Azalea Celebration.

Applications for this year's WRAL Azalea Celebration competition are now being accepted from non-profit organizations. The deadline for applications is September 9, 2009, and the winners will receive their plants on October 3, 2009.

Click here to download the application form.

If you'd like to obtain an application to enter the competition, please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

Azalea Celebration
P.O. Box 12509
Raleigh NC 27605

What Makes a Good Project?

List your objectives for developing the garden
Set up a beautification committee to plan, plant, and care for the azaleas
Select a project coordinator and contact person to lead it
Develop a site plan showing plant placement; make group assignments to complete the project
Ask local businesses and extension agents for contributions to cover planting and maintenance
Highlight your non-project's project in the local newspaper
Keep photographs and notes of your efforts so you can apply for the A.J. Fletcher Award

The WRAL Azalea Celebration: An Overview

Each year WRAL-TV 5, MIX 101.5 WRAL-FM and NC Beautiful sponsor the WRAL Azalea Celebration. Through this program WRAL-TV gives away over 10,000 azaleas to over 100 non-profits from all over the state of North Carolina each October.

Azalea Celebration sign The Azalea Celebration Process:

North Carolina non-profits apply for the plants by submitting landscaping ideas to use azaleas to beautify their property
Winners are notified and pick up their azaleas from Capitol Broadcasting Company's nursery
in October.
The project supports non-profits in working together to enhance community appearance by establishing well-maintained & continuous projects.

CBC President and CEO Jim Goodmon started the annual event in 1985 with the goal of beautifying the community and introducing new and unusual varieties of azaleas. WRAL-TV, MIX 101.5 and NC Beautiful sponsor the event in order to promote the enhancement of community appearance. The giveaway strives to "establish a continuous, well-maintained project for their community to enjoy and emulate." azalea flower

CBC Property Management staff and volunteers distribute the plants at the CBC transmitter site in Auburn , NC , where the greenhouses and cutting beds are located. Cuttings for the azalea celebration are exclusively from WRAL plants.

The A.J. Fletcher Awards

View 2007 A.J. Fletcher Award winners
View the list of past A.J. Fletcher Award winners


CBC Founder A.J. Fletcher

Three years after having won azaleas in the WRAL Azalea Celebration, each non-profit is eligible for an A.J. Fletcher Award. Named for the founder of Capitol Broadcasting Company and creator of the WRAL Gardens , the A.J. Fletcher Awards honor organizations who have best maintained their landscaping projects created with their WRAL azaleas.

The first A.J. Fletcher Awards were presented in 1986. Originally one winner was chosen to receive 100 additional azaleas and a $500 check from Capitol Broadcasting Company. In 2003, the WRAL Celebration coordinators began choosing first, second and third place winners.

award check

First place receives $500 and 100 azaleas,
Second place receives $250 and 50 azaleas,
Third place receives $125 and 25 azaleas.
All winners receive a plaque honoring their efforts.

NC Beautiful invites qualifying organizations each year, sending them an application. Finalists are selected from the applicants, and CBC Property Management Manger Tim Grissom personally visits each one to select the winner.

The 2008 A.J. Fletcher Award Winners
The 2008 Azalea Celebration was held on October 4, 2008. Over 10,000 azaleas were awarded to 120 groups statewide. Congratulations to all the 2008 winners and good luck in using the plants in the beautification efforts of their grounds.

View the list of past A.J. Fletcher Award winners

1st place- Penny Road Elementary School
Penny Road Elementary School received: 100 azaleas $500 check from CBC 1st place award plaque	CBC's Tim Grissom (l) presents the 1st Place award to Penny Road Elementary School representatives (click to enlarge)

2nd place- A.B Combs Leadership Magnet Elementary School
A.B Combs Leadership Magnet Elementary School received: 50 azaleas $250 check from CBC 2nd place award plaque	CBC's Tim Grissom (l) congratulates the A.B Combs Leadership Magnet Elementary School representative (click to enlarge)

3rd place- Cole Mill Church of Christ
Cole Mill Church of Christ received: 25 azaleas $125 check from CBC 3rd place award plaque	CBC's Tim Grissom (r) presents representatives from Cole Mill Church of Christ with their award (click to enlarge)