Otsego flower shop raises money for families of fallen Burnsville police officers and firefighter-paramedic

MN flower shop raises money for Burnsville victims

101 Market in Otsego, Minnesota is raising money for the families of the three first responders who were killed in Burnsville by selling tulips.

OTSEGO, Minn. (FOX 9) - At the 101 Market in Otsego, a show of support is in full bloom.

"I like 101 Market. I love tulips, and my brother's a police officer, so any way I can support the police, I tried to do that," said customer Terri Breems.

The market is selling tulips to raise money for the families of the three fallen first responders who were killed in the line of duty in Burnsville on Feb. 18.

"Within 20 minutes of the first post, a lady walked in the door and said, I'm here for tulips, and it just has gone from there," said lead floral designer Georgia Edgington.

So far, the response has blossomed into something even the organizers didn't expect.

"We've had people calling from an hour and a half away, two hours away, saying, my daughter-in-law's coming in to buy tulips. I'm way up north, but I'm sending her to buy tulips," said Edgington.

Since Wednesday, the business has seen a steady stream of customers buying tulips in bunches. They sold 2,000 of the flowers in just a day and a half, with 100% of the proceeds going to the loved ones of Paul Elmstrand, Matthew Ruge and Adam Finseth.

"In spite of the hardness that these families and the communities are going through, just like the tulip, I hope they will be able to weather this storm and get through it and still continue to blossom and grow beautifully," Edgington said.

Customers hope a little flower power can help heal a community's broken heart.

"I think that any time we have a tragedy, and we can give back to the community or to the family, that's an awesome thing to do, no matter who you are or where you're from," said Breems.