Daffodil Days are here again.

University employees have until March 14 to purchase a bouquet of 10 daffodils for $5. Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society. The flowers will be delivered to offices on March 25, just in time for Easter.

Last year UConn volunteers won the Connecticut Division Daffodil Award, a statewide award from the American Cancer Society for raising the most money in the state during the 1996 Daffodil Festival. This year's campaign is the 16th at UConn.

The flowers are grown at the Puyallup Valley Flower Co-Operative in Washington state and trucked to Connecticut. They arrive in bud stage and are delivered to units at the University. The campaign raises more than $10 million a year across the country.

Buying a bouquet helps people fight cancer throughout Connecticut.

In Connecticut alone last year, the American Cancer Society raised $7.6 million and helped fund 10,228 rides for 1,240 cancer patients to doctors and hospitals for treatment. Also, in 1995-96, 35 research grants totaling $3.76 million were funded at UConn, Yale University and Wesleyan University. More than 650 women and girls took part in a program that teaches female cancer patients beauty techniques to help restore their appearance. In addition, 910 breast surgery patients participated in a one-on-one visitation and support program called Reach to Recovery.

To order your daffodils, see your unit's Daffodil Festival coordinator or call Ann DelMastro, the campaign's UConn coordinator, at 486-0499.