A spokesperson for the Manitoba Lung Association says thousands of tulips are ready to be sold across the province.

Kathi Neal is Director of Development. She says the annual Breath of Spring Tulip Campaign is one of their biggest fundraisers of the year. This is the 16th annual fundraiser.

"They are gorgeous tulips for a good price," says Neal. "And the proceeds from the tulip sales go to support the one in five Manitobans living with lung disease."

Neal says money from the sale of tulips will go into a provincial pot. It pays for things like a toll free help line for people who need to better manage their lung disease. It also allows the Association to do presentations in many communities. And, it helps to train health care professionals in best practices related to lung disease.

"So often times medical experts...do come in to Winnipeg for training," she says. "We also have that training available online."

According to Neal it takes the help of about two hundred volunteers to pull off this fundraiser.

"We do it because we think people really enjoy seeing tulips at this time of year," she says. "It's just a reminder that spring is right around the corner and it also gives people a very inexpensive way to make a huge difference for Manitobans living with lung disease."