*By Lauren Babbage*
Mother's Day is just a few days away, and while you may be scrambling for a last-minute gift, the floral industry has been preparing for months.
"We'll deliver over 12 million stems of flowers. We'll deliver over 150,000 different plants this weekend, said Chris McCann, the CEO of 1-800-Flowers. "Look, mom is important business and if you don't recognize mom on Mother's Day you're going to have a tough year."
Mother's Day, which is on Sunday, May 13, is 1-800-Flowers biggest holiday. Keeping up with certain floral trends this year, the bouquet-on-demand brand is going beyond just tulips and daisies and expanding into succulents, for between $60 and $80.
"We're having a hard time keeping the succulents in inventory." McCann said.
Moms don't just love flowers and plants. 1-800-Flowers' gourmet food business accounts for about 60 percent of annual revenue. McCann said both divisions the company will create more than 20 million gifts per year.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-blooming-business-of-mothers-day).
Members of the Kappa League mentoring program at Wyandanch Memorial High School in Long Island, NY are preparing for an educational trip to Ghana. Principal Paul Sibblies is on a mission to enrich his students' lives to put some of them in touch with their roots. "When you invest in young people, then it's the greatest investment you can make," he said.
A group of 15 students recently graduated from SANYS U., a six-week program held by the Self Advocacy Association of New York State. The course helps people with disabilities to advocate on their own behalf, learning more about their rights, legislation and issues that matter most.
The minivan is turning 40 years old this year. While it made up just 1.8 percent of the car market in 2022, that number could begin to tick up, as more families increase interest in the car's advantages. Cheddar News' senior reporter Michelle Castillo takes a deeper look at the minivan's lineage.
Cheddar News correspondent Shannon LaNier rings in the Thai New Year at 11 Tigers in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan. The restaurant is one of the only locations in New York City to celebrate.
