TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
Mims’ five-year tenure as Flag Coordinator ends this July, and Ralph Waits, a zone leader with many years of experience, will take over the position. It takes a committed team to keep bringing the flags back year after year. The breathtaking vision of American flags lining the streets of Texarkana’s neighborhoods and waving in the wind provides Cindy Bunch with “a feeling of inner peace and a warm sense of pride” that she lives in this free country. Being a part of the project for every patriotic holiday reminds her “God has blessed America,” and it is just one of the many reasons she and her family want to thank the Rotary Club for starting this program in our community. If you’re interested in being part of the initiative, please contact one of the four Rotary Clubs administering the project: Wilbur Smith, Texarkana Oaklawn, Texarkana Sunrise and Texarkana International. Each group has its own website, where you will find additional information. The primary flag route operates in the Texarkana area, with additional routes run by local scout teams in Redwater and Maud. A single flag costs $55 per year, with discounts for orders of three or more. The Texarkana Rotary Clubs use all proceeds to fund numerous projects in the community. These include: the Rotary Splash Pad, local backpack programs that provide school supplies and food to students in need and scholarships to local universities and colleges. Each club donates its proceeds to causes they feel are important to their specific club. As a program participant, Tammy Hun is thankful to those who sacrifice their lives to defend this country, and she feels having flags in her yard is an excellent way to remember them. “Without their sacrifices, I wouldn’t enjoy the freedom I value so much.” The next time you see the flags in and around town, remember what they represent and those who have sacrificed their lives for us and the country we live in. But also recognize them as a symbol of this great community working together for the greater good, in honor of those who have gone before and those still standing for us today. David sees the Flag Project as an opportunity for us all to show our gratitude for those who have made it possible to live in a free country. It is humbling to remember this patriotic project is run by volunteers, with its proceeds staying to help those in need in the local community. The special people of the Texarkana Rotary Clubs established this flag initiative to represent the spirit the words of the song express so well.
You’re a grand old flag, you’re a high-flying flag, And forever in peace, may you wave. You’re the emblem of the land I love, The home of the free and the brave. Ev’ry heart beats true ’Neath the Red, White and Blue, Where there’s never a boast or brag. But should auld acquaintance be forgot, Keep your eye on the grand old flag!
David Mims, Flag Coordinator
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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