By Sheryl Stanley
On six national holidays every year, businesses throughout Harrisonville proudly fly our nation’s flag, thanks to the hard work of the Harrisonville Rotary Club.
Since 1988, local Rotarians have taken turns distributing and raising the flags on holiday mornings, taking them down at sunset and carefully storing them away until the next holiday.
“We started our flag program in 1988,” said Glen Aversman, program coordinator. “We thought it would be a great way to set the community apart and show our pride in America.”
“We have a different eight-man crew each time. We put the flags out on Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Patriots Day (Sept. 11) and Veterans Day, starting at 7:30 a.m. and bringing them in about 5:30 p.m. It usually takes about 60 to 90 minutes each time,” he said.
“Local folks like it and visitors do, too. As we work, people will stop and tell us how much they appreciate us putting up the flags,” Aversman added.
Last year, Rotarians put out flags at 108 locations, Aversman said. This year, that number is down slightly to 87 with approximately 30 designated for the square and the surrounding downtown area.
Cost to participate in Rotary’s flag program is $40 per year and anyone who would like to sign up for his or her business can call Aversman at 816-804-5011.
All monies raised from the flag program stay in Harrisonville and fund community improvement projects and scholarships.
Aversman joined the local Rotary Club in 1982 and has worked on the flag program since its inception.
“For myself, I’m glad to put these flags up and to honor our country and our veterans on their holidays. I’m proud to do this, I’ll be quite honest,” he said.
The Rotary Club meets each Wednesday for lunch at the Harrisonville Community Center.