Feb. 4, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Melinda Lynch, Horticulture and Crop Science
805- 756-7504, mlynch@calpoly.edu
Cal Poly Students Win Award, Represent U.S. at Flower Show in Italy
SAN LUIS OBISPO - Students from Cal Poly represented the United States and competed against schools from Europe and Russia recently at the 2009 Festival dei Fiori in Sanremo, Italy.
Cal Poly's was the only U.S. team invited to the international event, held in January. The Mustang floral team received the "Best Historical and Iconographic Research" award for one of its entries.
The annual contest requires teams to create a window display representing the city of Sanremo (which could include landscapes, flowers, structures, history and events of the city) and a stand display similar to landscape displays Cal Poly teams create for county fairs. Cal Poly's winning entry was in the "Medieval Myths and Tales" competition and featured a unicorn.
On the Cal Poly team were Horticulture and Crop Science students Danielle Ruais of Santa Ana, Elisabeth Hall of Encinitas and Amanda Lemm of Paso Robles. They were coached by floral design instructor Melinda Lynch of the university's Horticulture and Crop Science Department.
Lynch said the Cal Poly team was invited to Italy by the Sanremo Flower Market and had been recommended by Carol Caggiano of the American Institute of Floral Designers. The Cal Poly team had worked with Caggiano at the National AIFD Symposium in Palm Desert in 2007.
"We feel honored to be asked to participate, and we are thrilled to bring back an award," Lynch said. "This was a huge opportunity for our students to represent Cal Poly and the United States in an international flower competition."
The other participating schools were:
. Assofioristi (Italy);
. Federfiori (Italy);
. Scuola nel laboratorio (Italy);
. Floral Design School Nicole Moscow (Russia);
. Haga Gymnasiet Florist (Sweden);
. Magyar Gyula Gardening Secondary School (Hungary);
. Staatliche Fachschule fur Blumenkunst Weihenstephan (Germany);
. Vea Statens fagskole for gartnere og blomsterdekoratorer (Norway); and
. Vrtnarska sola Celje (Solvenia)
The Cal Poly team members also had the opportunity to assist a trio of designers known as "Life 3" in their floral show the Festival Dei Fiori. "Life 3" designers Per Benjamin, Max van de Sluis and Tomas De Bruyne are all top award winners in Europe.
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