Student sends roses to 500 classmates

If any female juniors at Cypress Bay High School weren't aware of classmate Paul Kim _ they know him now. The 17-year-old junior ordered 500 red roses and had them delivered to nearly all his female classmates on Valentine's Day.

A card attached to the roses said, "To all the lovely ladies of 2007, here's wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day. Affectionately, Paul Kim."

He said he used money he had been saving since his birthday in December to pay for the roses, which cost about $900.

"To me, Valentine's is a special day," Kim said. "I realized that not many girls would get anything and it would be an ordinary day. I figured I'd take the initiative and put a smile on their face."

Sara Farinelli, 16, got her rose during her math class.

"I don't know who this kid is, but he's sending everyone a rose," Farinelli said. "I think it's a cute gesture."

Kim's estimate on the class size was slightly off. There are more than 600 girls in Cypress Bay's junior class.

He said he got the idea Friday, when he saw the Business Professionals of America club was having trouble selling flowers as a fundraiser.