Nearly 600 Flags Fly in Front of a Central New York Wegmans Store to Honor Veterans

For the eighth year in a row, a beautiful tribute to the stars and stripes is standing resiliently in front of a Central New York Wegmans store, a monument to honor servicemen and women on Veteran's Day.

For over a week, nearly 600 flags have stood in front of the Wegmans on Oswego Road in Liverpool, blowing in the wind and basking in the oddly warm November sun, each one representing someone who has done amazing work for Central New York and for the United States.

The Onondaga North Rotary Club has coordinated the project since 2013, selling the 3-feet by 5-feet flags for $30 a piece and setting them up for public viewing for a couple of weeks around Veteran's Day. According to Syracuse.com, the club expanded their display amidst this year's coronavirus pandemic to honor other heroes in the Central New York community like doctors and nurses.

ONRC president Mindy Taylor told Syracuse.com that every year, the club's flag project raises around $8,000, which it then donates to veterans organizations and other charitable causes like the local food pantry and Meals on Wheels programs.

Despite the beauty and honor the flags display in gratitude to our local veterans, first responders and essential workers, it is not immune to vandalism. Just days after the volunteers put the flags up on November 1, vandals knocked over banners and ripped flags off their poles. Although the vandalism and heartlessness of the vandals was disheartening, the club posted on its Facebook page that it had righted the wrong and that they would continue on in order to ensure local veterans receive the recognition they deserve.