Four-O'Clock Flowers Around the World Cancer Memorial Providing Free Four-o'clock Flower Seeds as a Living Symbol of Hope to Plant in Gardens Across America and Around the World New Orleans, Louisiana Since 1994
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Information on Kevin Donahoe and the Free Four-o'clock Project

Kevin was born in New Orleans..

Kevin graduated from De La Salle High School in New Orleans. He graduated from Tulane University with several degrees. Kevin obtained a Master'sUniversity of Louisiana in Monroe. He obtained an Associate of Arts from Delgado Community College in New Orleans. He has also attended Loyola University in New Orleans, the University of New Orleans, and Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana.

Kevin has spent his life volunteering his time for a variety of organizations. He six terms as Chairman of the Jefferson Parish Senior Citizen Task Force under Parish Presidents Tim Coulon and Aaron Broussard. The Task Force is comprised of over 60 hospitals, nonprofit agencies, police departments, businesses, and parish, state, and Federal agencies. He served as the Chairman of five Annual Jefferson Parish Senior Citizen Expo with 120 exhibitors providing information to more than 5,000 attendees. He has served as Chairman of the Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (Salt/Triad) organization bringing senior citizens and law enforcement agencies together. Kevin developed a program- Gifts for Senior Citizens- to obtain nonperishable food from school children and from the public, which was distributed to home bound seniors throughout Jefferson Parish during the holiday season.

Kevin has also volunteered his services to the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce (The Jaycees); the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, The Times-Picayune Doll and Toy Fund; the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Association of Louisiana; Zeta Fraternity of North America at Tulane University, the Louisiana Fern Society; and, the League of St. Jude.

He is diversified in his interests. As a young man, he took judo for many years attaining the rank of brown belt before an injury sidelined him at an American Athletics Union (AAU) National Tournament. Kevin has long loved animals having raised tropical fish, ferrets, Dobermans, and cats. He is an avid fisherman and utilizes every opportunity to fish in Lake Pontchartrain by his home, Point a la Hace and Happy Jack, and in Grand Isle, Louisiana on the Gulf of Mexico. He also enjoys attending college sporting events. Kevin is also a Mardi Gras parade enthusiast who enjoys attending many of the parades in New Orleans, Metairie and on the West Bank of New Orleans each year.

Kevin obtained his interest in plants from his parents. He has taken several horticulture courses at Delgado Community College. His specialty has been in the propagation of ferns through spores. Kevin’s interest in horticulture and botany evolved into an interest in plant tissue culture, also known as “cloning.” He spent seven years cloning plants for agricultural and ornamental horticulture crops.

Kevin’s is no stranger to cancer having had skin cancer which was removed at an early stage. He has had numerous immediate family and friends who have been diagnosed with cancer with several of them losing their battle to the disease. The Four-o’clocks Around the World project synergy's Kevin’s grief over losing a parent to cancer coupled with his background in communications and his love for plants. This project is a grassroots effort to have a unifying symbol of hope for all persons battling all forms of cancer. The Four-o’clocks project is by no means looking to replace pink ribbons or any other symbols of hope, but rather provide a tangible, growing symbol of hope for all persons battling all cancers around the world. It would be wonderful to have persons around the world looking at four-o’clock plants and knowing they are the universal symbol of hope for all persons battling cancer.

Four-o’clock plants are very unique in that they can grow all around the world in a wide variety of climates. The plants produce abundance of sweetly scented, trumpet-shaped flowers, which grow from early spring until the first frosts of winter. The flowers open up after 4 p.m. in the afternoon, hence the name. The position and movement of the sun trigger the flowers opening after 4 p.m. In Europe, the same plants are called, “Belle Nuit,” or the good night. Four-o’clocks remain open from the early evening until the next morning. Another benefit of four-o’clocks is that a seed takes the place of each flower once it dies. These seeds can be dried in paper bags, then shared with family and friends to continue this loving tribute.

Kevin is now asking for donations for the Four-o’clocks Around the World project. Since the beginning in 1994, Kevin has rejected contributions from the public for the project. He had asked persons to donate directly to the cancer organization of their own choosing. Kevin anguished for a long time on asking the public for financial contributions, but he realized that he could never accomplish the worldwide goals of the project without help. While the goal of having four-o’clocks planted across America and around the world is going on, Kevin wants to utilize some of the contributions to begin other projects which will directly benefit not only cancer survivors, but also their family members and caregivers.

Marcus Tullis Cicero once said, “While there’s life, there’s hope.” It is the goal of the Four-o’clocks Around the World project to have the four-o’clock flower become the universal symbol of hope for ALL persons battling ALL cancers around the world. Plant four-o’clocks at your home and share the seeds from those plants with family and friends to perpetuate this loving tribute and to provide others with the symbol of hope.

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