NEW ULM — The New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce is requesting donations from individuals and businesses to sponsor the downtown flowers.

Every spring and summer, flowers adorn Minnesota and Broadway Streets downtown. These flowers are paid for by the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce. The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected businesses throughout New Ulm, and the Chamber is no exception. A variety of events and programs had to be cancelled, including the 2020 New Ulm Home & Health Show, and the Chamber is now looking for creative ways to adjust the budget and fund various expenses.

There are 128 hanging baskets along Minnesota Street downtown, and 120 planter pots lining Minnesota and Broadway Streets. The Chamber pays for the flowers and for the hanging baskets to be put up, a group of volunteers clean and plant the planters, another group of volunteers water the flower daily throughout the summer months. This is truly a community effort. The flowers are enjoyed by everyone all season long!

The total cost to purchase the flowers is $7,000. Please consider sponsoring a hanging basket or planter at $50 each, ensuring this tradition of beautification will continue. All sponsors will be recognized in three ways: listed at newulm.com (with a website link, if applicable), recognized on social media, and published in The Journal on the Chamber News page.

There are a few options to pay for your sponsorship: online at newulm.com (through PayPal); call 507-233-4302 to pay via credit card over the phone; send a check to: New Ulm Chamber, Attn: Flower Donations, 1 N Minnesota St, New Ulm, MN 56073; or we can invoice your business (email chamber@newulm.com to request this).

Besides financial donations, we are also looking for volunteers to help clean and plant the planters (a one-time commitment) and more people to join the volunteer watering crew. For more information, or to sign up, contact the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce at 507-233-4300 or chamber@newulm.com. We will pass along names to the watering crew. Reach out to the Chamber with any questions or concerns about the flowers in downtown New Ulm.