Kettering plans Avenue of Flags

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By Adele Koehnen 9:49 AM Friday, May 8, 2009

A patriotic fundraiser is being planned in the city of Kettering through the combined efforts of two organizations: the Dor-Wood Optimist Club and the Kettering Leadership Academy. One of 12 soon-to-be-graduates of the Kettering Leadership Academy, Peter M. Callahan of Kettering, had the idea of starting an Avenue of Flags for the city during the five national holidays: Labor Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day and the Fourth of July.

“It’s not altogether a new idea since the Centerville Noon Optimist Club with 300 subscribers and the Springboro Optimist Club are currently running Avenue of Flags in their cities,” said Callahan, a member of both organizations.

The initial area to be canvassed in the door-to-door subscription sales campaign is the area of Far Hills Avenue to Shroyer Road and Winding Way to Far Hills. Houses on Lincoln Park, Greendale, Lenox, Chatham, Avon Way, Canterbury and North Pelham streets will be targeted. More than two dozen volunteers representing both organizations will ask residents to subscribe to Kettering Avenue of Flags for $40 a year for the five national holidays. The $40 ensures that a 3-foot by 5-foot American flag on a 10-foot pole will be placed at dawn on each holiday on those properties, 15 inches to 24 inches from the curb in front of the houses. The flag and its pole will be retrieved at dusk by the volunteers.

“Our goal this first year is 240 subscribers” Callahan said. “The initial drive will run May 15 through July 15 door-to-door. Information about the project on will also be on brochures and a Web site.

The volunteers and their organizations will replace any flag that is damaged or stolen. The first holiday to be part of the Kettering Avenue of Flags will be Labor Day, 2009. All proceeds will be used for needs-based projects in Kettering.

Contact this columnist at (937)

433-1552 or adeleauk4737@sbc global.net

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