Clay, N.Y. -- Nearly 600 American flags have been flying in front of the Wegmans supermarket on Route 57 in Clay since Halloween, making for an impressive display of the stars and stripes for thousands of shoppers and passing motorists.
It’s not July 4th. So what’s up with all the flags?
Turns out, it’s part of an annual display by the Onondaga North Rotary Club. Every year since 2013, the club sells 3-by-5-foot flags and flies them for two weeks around Veterans Day to honor veterans and first responders such as police and firefighters.
This year, in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the club has expanded the display to honor essential workers such as doctors and nurses.
Nearly 600 American flags fly in front of the Wegmans supermarket on Route 57 in Clay as part of the Onondaga North Rotary Club's Flags of Honor and Gratitude Project. Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com
Club president Mindy Taylor said the event raises about $8,000 annually, making it the club’s biggest fundraiser. The club donates the money to veterans organizations and charitable causes, including local food pantry and Meals on Wheels programs, she said.
The club charges $30 for a flag. Buyers are given the option of taking the flags after the two-week display or having the Rotary Club store them for display the following year. The club charges $15 to re-display a previously purchased flag.
The event first took place in front of the Great Northern Mall on Route 31 in 2013 and was moved to the Wegmans plaza in 2016. Taylor said 40 people bought flags the first year, but the club purchased another 60 to make it a 100-flag display. Sales have risen every year since then.
Many families buy the flags to honor relatives, alive or diseased, who have served in the military or as police officers or firefighters. Cards with the names and, in many cases, photos of the people being honored are displayed with the flags.
Nearly 600 American flags fly in front of the Wegmans supermarket on Route 57 in Clay as part of the Onondaga North Rotary Club's Flags of Honor and Gratitude Project. Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com
Taylor said many families come to visit the display, as they would a loved one’s grave.
“It really is touching,” she said. “It means a lot to them, especially if it’s ‘in memory of.'"
Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
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