DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — There's a saying to stop and smell the roses. Well, for David Burkhart, he does just that at the Delray Garden Center.
But at night, he's screaming at the top of his lungs, rooting for the Panthers.
Inside the Delray Garden Center, David Burkhart connects with nature.
"I run the insulation and design portion of the company," said Burkhart, who says he and his team plant seeds improving the scenery around South Florida.
"I love it. I eat, breathe, and sleep in it; it's the best," said Burkhart.
Outside of the garden center, he's found a new love.
"I've been a Panthers Territory member for the past three years, and it has completely changed my life," said Burkhart.
He's not kidding.
Panthers
A family who found home in South Florida finds family in the Florida Panthers
"My daughters have a great time, the whole organization is super family-friendly," said Burkhart.
That family-friendly atmosphere helped his wife fall in love with the Panthers.
"The family loves going; they really focus on the kids, which is amazing. They have a sensory room, they also had 'Frozen' there, so my daughter is obsessed," said David’s wife Ariel.
The Burkharts became fans during the first Stanley Cup run in 2023 and feel that going to the games allows them to connect on another level.
"When you walk through those doors and you feel that cold air hit you, it's just stepping you through a whole other world. It's like a second family," said Burkhart.
Now he hopes his second family can win it all in back-to-back years.
