Published in the Times-Beacon
6/02/05
By JESSICA STENSTROM
Staff Writer
LACEY -- What could be more patriotic
than an American Flag?
How about 366 American Flags?
Each year the Forked River Rotary
Club sponsors "Adopt a Flag,"
a program that lines Lacey Road and
Route 9 with hundreds of flags on five
separate occasions.
Rotarian Veronica Laureigh said that
flags are placed along these two main
township roads from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
on Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence
Day, Labor Day, A Day of Rememberance
(Sept. 11) and Veteran's Day.
"This is the ninth year that we
have done it," she said.
Laureigh said that a former Rotarian
had seen the "Adopt a Flag"
program in another area and brought the
idea back to the Forked River club.
"He inquired about it. It was a
good idea and we started it here,"
she said.
Each year the fund-raiser raises
around $9,000 that is used to fund many
of the Rotary Club programs. The Rotary
Club sponsors various community events
and donated to various local charities.
Any local business or resident can
participate by sponsoring a flag along
the roadway.
The annual cost is $100 for four
flags, $60 for two or $35 for one.
Mayor Gary Quinn, also a Rotarian,
said that the flags lining Lacey Road
and Route 9 provides a tremendous amount
of patriotism every year.
"Every year more and more people
are talking about it," he said.
"During the parade when we drove up
Lacey Road I got such a warm
feeling."
He said from a club standpoint the
program raises many funds that are
directed right backs towards community
organizations such as the food bank and
scholarships at the high school.
"The whole club gets
involved," Quinn said. "It is
nice for the entire club to participate
together. It is great."
He said that there are usually five
separate teams that place the flags
along Route 9 and Lacey Road. Quinn said
teams are normally comprised of two
people putting out flags in the morning
and two people removing the flags in the
evening.
George Broom had a special team that
placed flags along Lacey Road East early
Monday morning.
Broome and his wife Charlotte
gathered their grandkids early to place
110 flags from the Caldwell Banker to
the German Butcher.
Caitlin Hughes, 4, her brother Ray
Hughes, 8 and Zachary Benjamin, 8 all
piled out of the vehicle hunting for
pegs to place five flags at the
Cobblestones Plaza, 615 Lacey Road, the
morning doubling as a scavenger hunt.
"I found the first one,"
Caitlin said as she placed one of the
flags, twice her size along Lacey Road.
