Chilly weather and delayed peak bloom for Washington, DC’s iconic cherry trees didn’t keep visitors away from the nation’s favorite celebration of spring. Eastern National’s support of the 2018 Cherry Blossom Festival, including donation funding for special Bloomin’ Junior Ranger badges and pop-up sales tents, helped ensure that festival goers had everything they needed to enjoy the festivities.
Eastern National’s donation of more than $26,000 provided shuttle service for visitors during the festival, allowing families easy access to the Tidal Basin area which annually averages over 700,000 attendees. Funding was also provided to purchase Bloomin’ Junior Ranger badges for those who completed the Cherry Blossom Junior Ranger Activity Book to learn all about the history of the Washington cherry trees and how to help protect them.
Commemorative Cherry Blossom Festival gear was available to visitors at Eastern National’s bustling pop-up tents. EN works with multiple vendors to offer official National Cherry Blossom Festival merchandise as well as custom products, driving $35,000 in sales in just one weekend during peak bloom. Visitors interested in a more interactive experience were able to purchase kites at EN pop-up tents and participate in the annual Cherry Blossom Kite Festival. The Kite Festival was particularly popular this year, with Eastern National selling more than 1,000 kites.
Photo: Eastern National employees Kevin Marshall (left), unit manager of Washington Monument and Ford’s Theater, and Arkile Jackson (right), assistant unit manager of Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, ring up sales during the 2018 Cherry Blossom Festival. Photo: Erin Nolan
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