Crowds of students and faculty swarmed the small setup of two folding tables on the Plaza of the Americas Wednesday morning to snag a "free air purifier" or "houseplants with a purpose."
The giveaway began at 9:50 a.m., and it took 40 minutes to strip the tables bare of 300 peace lilies.
O2 for You, a public service campaign, teamed up with American Lung Association, the Clean Air Council, Costa Farms, Earth Day and Gators for a Sustainable Campus to educate the public about a sustainable solution for combating indoor air pollution. The lilies were free, but those who took one were asked to sign a large board pledging to live a greener life.
Costa Farms, one of the nation's largest indoor foliage growers, donated the 300 peace lilies for the cause.
Indoor air pollution is one of the top U.S. health concerns, and plants are a natural solution to purify the air, said Maria Calvert, who co-organized the event.
A houseplant can help reduce harmful chemicals that come from carpet, paint and even tobacco products.
Volunteers also passed out postcards with information on the best plants to use indoors and the benefits they provide.
According to the cards, using one houseplant for each 100 square feet can remove up to 87 percent of indoor air pollutants. Vickie Mena, a recent UF political science graduate, suffers from migraines, and until she got her plant, didn't realize plants could do so much.
"I never knew there were specific plants that were better than others for cleaning the air," Mena said.
O2 for You plans on visiting Atlanta and Chicago this year to spread the word about the benefits of plants and living green. "Houseplants are just a way to get people started in going green," Calvert said.
