The flags are up on Washington College’s parcel at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Morgnec Road and passersby may find themselves humming “You’re A Grand Old Flag.” The Flags for Heroes campaign, organized by the Chestertown Rotary Club and Washington College Rotaract Club, in affiliation with Mid-Shore Community Foundation, is an opportunity for community members to honor their personal heroes – a veteran, member of the armed services, law enforcement officer, firefighter, health care worker, family member, teacher, or friend, who has made a positive impact on their lives. For a $50 donation, individuals or businesses can sponsor a 3-by-5-foot American flag that will stand 8 feet tall. The list of sponsors and their heroes will appear in local publications for Memorial Day Weekend. Corporate sponsors who contribute $250 will also be prominently acknowledged for their support on the project’s website. Contributions are tax deductible.
“The Chestertown Rotary Club is proud to join with the Washington College Rotaract Club to sponsor this patriotic and thrilling public display of American flags to honor our men and women in uniform, first responders, and other heroes who help serve our communities and nation,” says Brian Moore, President of the Rotary Club. “Since we started this project five years ago, it has been enthusiastically embraced and generously supported by our community.
Since its inception, almost $20,000 in proceeds from flags sponsorships have been donated to local veterans’ groups and other worthy causes. Special thanks to our generous corporate sponsors and local media partners who continue to step up each year, and to Washington College which has once again allowed us to use the parcel, which is ideally situated on perhaps the most travelled intersection in all of Kent County.”
Andy Meehan, who chairs the project, notes: “Our intent is to honor Memorial Day and to help inspire our fellow citizens to reflect upon what it is truly about. We must never forget that Memorial Day is first and foremost a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of our Nation. The project is also an opportunity for folks to pay tribute in the form of our national emblem to family members and others who have been a hero in one’s life. In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, we hope the flag display will have particular significance and serve as a reassuring and poignant symbol of community and country. Indeed, the theme of this year’s project is “Honoring Community & Country. Over the years I have encountered many wonderful people who have amazing stories to tell. They are grateful for the chance to honor their heroes in a dignified fashion, personified by the field of flags, and memorialized in the list of honorees and their sponsors published in the Kent County News, and on The Kent Pilot, The Chestertown Spy, and WCTR websites.”
The flags are retained by the Chestertown Rotary Club for use on future projects. Proceeds will be designated for local veteran and other worthy causes. For more information or to sponsor a flag for your hero by check or credit card go to www.chestertownrotaryflags4heroes.com Sponsorships must be received by May 15 for publication purposes.
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