On June 14th, 2017 our agency held its annual Flag Day barbecue and event. Downtown Stafford was covered in American flags and we even received help from the local fire department to display a large 90 foot flag that overlooked Stafford with pride.
In addition to our local fire departments, we were also joined by our local EMT members and police. Additionally, Loki, the town’s drug search dog, even showed up to greet many of our younger citizens.
We’re extremely grateful for our local police, firefighters, and EMT members because they helped to keep everyone safe and assisted the traffic coming in and out of town. Our event probably wouldn’t have gone as smoothly without them!
We also had some great food vendors show up during the event. Hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, and chicken were grilling up all day thanks to Jay Anderson, Larry McKinney, and Marco Vendentti, while Fine Swine Catering Services served up some delicious hand cut roast beef. In fact, they started smoking the meat in the early hours of the morning! It was worth the wait though, attendees loved the beef and was a great way to enjoy the summer weather.
Additionally, our partners at Still Hill Brewery showed up with some of their craft beer for the adults.
Needless to say downtown smelled great and tasted even better. Attendees loved the food so much they came back for seconds and thirds, we still had some leftovers even though hundreds of people had joined us to celebrate the American flag.
We also had a special cake and cupcakes for Rachel. Rachel, Chris’s sister, recently competed in the Special Olympics and won the bronze medal in swimming. Additionally, Rich Coppola from Fox 61 news also showed up to show his support for Rachel and even interviewed her for the sports segment. It was great to see so much support for her efforts!
We also had a few booths set up for attendees to stop at while they were there. Plymouth Rock Assurance who partnered up with us during our Bikes for Reading event this year, showed up with a few fun games, giveaways, and even their mascot Otto.
Radio 98.3 also came again this year and we had a lovely time with them. They streamed live music and had the opportunity to meet many of our locals here in Stafford Springs. Radio 98.3 brings a ton of energy to our Flag Day event and we can’t wait to see them again next year!
Additionally, Journey Found, the organization that assists Chris’s sister, also showed up to share information about how they help adults with learning impairments and mental disabilities. They handed out free goodies as well, and even collected some donations from attendees. It was great to see everyone giving back and spreading the word about this organization.
Our agency handed out free t-shirts and American flags (made 100% in America) all day long to those who wanted them. We even had some patriotic coloring pages and stickers for the kids so they could get into the spirit as well! Additionally, our agency made it an effort to collect retired flags so they could be given a proper disposal ceremony. Many attendees were extremely grateful for our respect towards the American flag, and we were happy to provide citizens with a new one.
Flag Day is a day about American pride and celebrating the meaning behind our flag. It represents freedom, but moreso represents the efforts of the fallen who gave all for us to have freedom. We can’t wait to do it again next year, and hope to see many more wonderful, patriotic faces!