08/18/11
Last year’s Soldiers’ Angels Gold Star Family Event in Florida has spawned a patriotic fundraiser that is now set to go year-round.
The Gold Star Family Event gathers parents and siblings of fallen soldiers to Northwest Florida (NWF) for a weekend of fellowship with those who understand, under the guidance of a top grief counselor supplied by NWF Soldiers’ Angels. Angel Deb singlehandedly raised the money to fund the event last year, but this year she reached out to fellow NWF Angels for assistance in supporting 90 grieving family members.
Under the leadership of Angel John Adkins, the Pier Park flags project was born. In its first weekend, the project raised $1600. Year-round American flag events are now planned and the team expects to far exceed the funding needs of the Gold Star Family Event itself. The additional funds raised will go to local and national Soldiers’ Angels activities in support of troops and their families.
Here’s how it works: a person or business anywhere in the country donates $100 to have a 3’ X 5’ dedication flag set up five times per year at Pier Park in Panama City, Florida or at their Panama Cirty home or business (Piers Park is a beautifull shopping plaza directly adjacent to a veterans’ memorial). The flag will have a dedication tag attached to it, honoring a person, business, idea or group chosen by the donor. Other 501(c)(3) organizations, especially groups associated with public school music/arts/sports activity programs, can also use this as a fundraising method by receiving 25% of funds for their own event raised with Soldiers’ Angels.
“We hope to cover Pier Park in dedicated flags,” says Adkins. Beyond Northwest Florida, he envisions Angels across the country ultimately creating similar programs to raise money for local or national Soldiers’ Angels activities.
The first batch of flag materials (flags, poles and stands) were purchased by an anonymous donor. Now, two local building supply companies are donating supplies and flags. All labor is also donated.
For more information or to sponsor a flag, email Adkins at koolness@knology.net.
