Four-O'Clock Flowers Around
the World Cancer Memorial
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Original Printed Version of This Article
Kevin Donahoe hopes a small trumpet-shaped flower will lead to a cure for cancer. The flowers will soon be inspiring hope against the deadly disease as its seeds take root in gardens around Houma.
On Wednesday, Donahoe gave hundreds of seeds to Houma postal workers, who will sow the seeds at the post office and throughout the community. Two years ago, Donahoe began a nationwide campaign to plant four-o’clock seeds in memory of his father, Jim, who died after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Donahoe said his father - a New Orleans longshoreman, gardener and poet- had a special passion for the American flowers known for opening generally around 4 p.m., hence the name. The flowers would bloom yearly in the spring, then wither with the year’s first front.
“The flowers gave him the peace of mind to battle the cancer,” Donahoe said. His father’s last wish was to see the plants in full bloom, he said. The winter’s cool weather during his father’s last weeks kept the flowers closed up until a week after his funeral in April 1994.
The following month, Donahoe began collecting the seeds out of the garden his father treasured. He had an idea how he could keep his father’s spirit alive for his mother and family. Donahoe sent letters including a packet of seeds to two postmasters in each state, and to each governor’s office, asking them to distribute the seeds in his father’s memory, he said. He hoped to present his mother with letters from around the country and a map marking their location on his father’s birthday, July 17.
Within two months and meeting a July 17 deadline, his “Four-o’clocks Across America” campaign received letters from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since then, he has continued writing and sending two packets of four-o’clock seeds in bank envelopes, now to every U.S. Ambassador around the world and to more than 200 world leaders and royalty.
“My hope is to have the seeds planted all over the world so the sun would always be shining on them, as a continuous symbol of hope that a cure for cancer will be found,” Donahoe said. Donahoe said the response to the tribute has been overwhelming. He got responses from about 65 ambassadors, from Albania to Sambia, First Lady Hillary Clinton, Vice President Al Gore’s wife, Tipper, and Governor Mike Foster also responded to his letters. Donahoe said several governors, including Foster, have declared July 17 as “Four-o’clocks Across America Day” in their state. He has also received more than 2,000 letters from across the nation requesting the seeds.
It’s unbelievable,” he said. “The response was overwhelming.” Spreading the flower’s popularity in Louisiana is Donahoe’s next plan of action. He hopes Louisianians will plant the more than 10,000 packs of seeds he has to offer, sharing them with those battling cancer, their family, friends and caregivers. He would like to see four-o’clocks planted in front of public of public buildings and in local gardens.
Houma Postmaster J.C. Dusenbury and Diane Breaux, supervisor of customer service, agreed to plant the four-o’clocks in the post office garden. Breaux said they decided to participate in the tribute because Donahoe’s cause is one that anyone can appreciate.
“Today, everybody has some connection to someone who has cancer,” she said. “It’s such a touching story, and we can all relate to his experience.” Terrebonne General Medical Center is also participating by planting the flowers in the Butterfly Garden of the hospital’s new cancer center which opens in October.
