NC Beautiful and WRAL Azalea Celebration and the AJ Fletcher Award
Club member Betty Schmiedel saw the 2004 Azalea Celebration article in the paper and we subsequently requested an application. We were selected to receive a beautification prize of 90 azaleas.
Dot Lucas, our Community Services Coordinator at the time, and her committee, planned the areas and colors for the azaleas to be planted. We originally planned to put them at the entrance to Knightdale at an area we call "the Point" and at Wellington Nursing Center. However, after we planted at these areas, we found that we had some left over. So, we also planted some at the downtown “Caboose” area and at Knightdale Baptist Church, which is our meeting place. 
The azaleas were were picked up on Saturday, October 16, 2004 and planted on October 30 by the members of the club. Wellington received 40, the “Point” received 30, the “Caboose” received 10 and we planted 10 at the church. 
We eventually lost 6 at Wellington due to excessive moisture from an AC unit. All have survived at the “Point”. We lost 6 azaleas at the “Caboose” due to an intoxicated driver that drove his car through the flowerbed one night, taking out a crepe myrtle tree and fence as well! 
The "Caboose" area later became the site for our Blue Star Memorial Marker which now has 4 of the original azaleas left. 
At the church, we lost one, leaving us with 9 pink ones. We did not replace any that we lost at any of the locations.
In the summer months, we set up watering schedules and each member waters and weeds as needed during their assigned week of maintenance. Also there were workdays scheduled to plant annuals, mulch and fertilize. Sometimes, at Wellington, some of the staff or family members will water for us. Other than that, all maintenance has been done by TwoGreenThumbs Garden Club.
In 2007, club member Brenda Hailey prepared documentation to send to the NC Beautiful and WRAL Annual Azalea Celebration in application for the A. J. Fletcher Award. We were very pleased to hear that we had won First Place for the A. J. Fletcher Award!! On October 6, 2007, three club members were present to accept First Place and receive the prize of a $500.00 check and 100 azaleas to further our projects for the Town of Knightdale.
Our plans are on hold at this time (Oct. 15, 2007) due to the exceptional drought in this area. A couple of club members (on well water) are currently baby-sitting the azaleas in wait for a good rain. Our plans are to expand the area around the Blue Star Memorial with 55 of the azaleas reaching on either side of the Memorial among the existing pines and dogwoods. We plan to place another 10 azaleas at the Point as well as replace rotting landscape timbers. 
The Wellington Nursing Home will receive about 30 azaleas and the Knightdale Chamber of Commerce will also recieve some of the azaleas. We are very excited to be able to beautify the Knightdale area with the help of NC Beautiful and WRAL.