A Mile of Flags…Go For
It! Update 5/20/03
Hi
all!
Some of you are going to receive – via snailmail – a formal thankyou
on our
colorful stationery and the announcement that follows. BUT, you will
also
receive coupons for half-off sandwich and drink items in appreciation
for
your efforts courtesy of one of our local merchants. Speaking of which,
if
you’d like to cash in those coupons, a good time would be on June
7&8 when we
again dig holes on Union Ave. in Tillicum.
Eighteen flags
are now flying and once more Hertz Rentals is donating $150
worth of digging equipment – we just need two people every two hours
on those
two days from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The more people that sign up the more
augers
we’ll obtain!
Some of the highlights
so far: 92 hours by volunteers, 33 of those by four
eighth graders! Cash donations approaching $1,500. A number of people
have
expressed interest in donating the estimated cost of a flag, pole
and
hardware at $40. That now can be done by sending a check to “The
Union of
Flags” Project, c/o the City of Lakewood, 6000 Main Street, Lakewood,
WA
98499. In return we’ll put a plaque on the pole in honor of someone
you
designate in the military (in which case send along name, rank, service,
etc.
to this email address or along with your donation).
Hope to hear from
you for the two-hours of your choice the weekend of June
7& 8!
David Anderson
Tillicum Merchants Association President
Union of Flags Project Coordinator
Nadine,
Thank you so much for your work on behalf of supporting our troops! My
father served in W.W.II and of course in Tillicum we are a military town
so all we can do to show our appreciation to the men and women of the
armed forces is appropriate. Listening to KVI the other day, John Carlson
in particular, gave me the opportunity to do what John was suggesting –
buy dinner, or whatever, for someone in uniform.
Our “Union of Flags” – so named by our city Chief of Police Larry Saunders
– is a similar project to show our troops how much we value them. The
Tillicum Merchant’s Association, of which I am President, has spearheaded
a project – led by Joe Hannan, Economic Development and Redevelopment
Director for the City of Lakewood – to install flags every 25 feet along
both sides of a mile-long stretch of Union Ave.
These are 4×6 flags that have flown over the Nation’s capitol. Total cost
per flag, including 16′ pole, three-foot sleeve inserted in the ground,
hardware and nameplate runs an estimated $40.
The first 25 flags were donated by the City of Lakewood, and hardware,
poles and sleeves were sponsored by Lakewood Hardware. Hertz Rentals of
Lakewood has donated hole drilling equipment.
Our goal is a red-white-and-blue mile of flags the entire stretch of Union
Ave. in Tillicum. People may contribute the cost of one or more flags at
the $40/per rate and in appreciation we’ll have a brass plate made for the
pole in memory of a loved one that served/s in the military or something
appropriately similar.
Then there is the hole-digging part of the project. Hertz Rentals donated
$200 worth of equipment the first time and I’m hoping they will again. A
good deal of their business is generated by the military, hence their
support. The dates to dig as many holes as we have people sign up are
Saturday and Sunday, May 3 & 4. My goal is two people per two hour shift
beginning at 8
a.m. each of
those two days and concluding each day at
6 p.m. However, that
is to work with one auger. If we had the donations of more augers – you
get the picture.
Then, I want to mention again the opportunity of someone from your
organization to speak at our monthly Tillicum Merchant’s Association
Meeting as to how our agency can support yours. Our next meeting is May
6, 7:30 a.m.
at Gertie’s.
Keep me posted on any feedback!
God bless America and God Bless Our Troops and President!
Happy Easter!
David Anderson
mailto:[email protected]