D.C.-BOUND — David Goodman pauses for a photo in front of a backdrop of Christmas decorations galore at Mary & Martha’s Florist & Gifts in downtown Arkadelphia.
By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com
Skydiving or snorkeling are bucket-list items an average adrenaline junkie might want to cross off in their lifetime. This month, longtime Arkadelphia florist David Goodman will be crossing off a decidedly more festive (albeit unconventional) item from his own list.
Goodman, owner of Mary & Martha’s Florist & Gifts, is traveling to Washington, D.C., during Thanksgiving week to help decorate the White House for Christmas. He was selected from roughly 15,000 applicants nationwide to join a volunteer crew of about 175 florists and decorators tasked with getting the president’s residence ready for the holidays.
The White House holiday showcase centers on an annual theme chosen by the First Lady, featuring elaborate state rooms, a massive official tree, and custom displays throughout the mansion. At 55, the trip fulfills a curiosity sparked in Goodman’s childhood while watching television specials about the White House at Christmas.
Once he arrives in D.C., Goodman won’t know his exact assignment until he checks in. He expects to put in long days from Monday through Wednesday, potentially prepping materials for a second shift of decorators.
“I might be fluffing garlands, I might be stringing lights or putting hooks on ornaments,” Goodman said. “I don’t know what I’ll be doing.”
Regardless of the task, he is eager to soak in the experience alongside peers from across the country.
“I’m excited to experience something I don’t see every day, and getting to work with people from all over the country,” he said. “I’m excited to learn new things and tips of the trade. I’m looking forward to meeting people in the industry who share a passion for the trade.”
The trip caps a 40-year career in the floral industry that began long before he took the helm of an Arkadelphia institution. Growing up in Prattsville as the son of a pastor, Goodman lived next door to the church and developed an early appreciation for nature. Every Saturday afternoon, he would watch a lady from the congregation arrange flowers cut from her own garden for Sunday morning services.
That spark led to a teenage job at a flower shop in nearby Sheridan. Later, while married and working at Ouachita Baptist University, Goodman ran a wedding floral business on the side. In 2007, he and his wife, Karrie, purchased Mary & Martha’s — a business that has been a downtown Arkadelphia staple for more than 90 years, having opened in the 1930s as Carpenter’s Flowers before later being bought by two sisters, Mary and Martha.
Decorating 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue isn’t the first high-profile project Goodman has checked off his list. In recent years, he earned a spot working on floats for the Rose Parade, the iconic New Year’s Day celebration in Pasadena, California. He also worked behind the scenes decorating for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s inauguration.
Goodman is scheduled to fly back to Arkansas in time to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with his family. As for what bucket-list milestone might come after the White House, he is already thinking ahead.
“I guess I’m going to have to study up and find another target,” he said with a chuckle.
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