Bethel To Honor Local Veterans With Hometown Heroes Banner Program

The Bethel Patriotic Association, with the support of the Town of Bethel, is introducing a Hometown Heroes Banner Program for 2025 as a living tribute for our community to honor local members of the Armed Forces. The 18” x 36” digitally printed double-sided vinyl banners will be placed on town owned lampposts on School Street in front of the Bethel Town Hall. Each banner will honor a specific Bethel service member whether a current or past resident of the town and will feature his or her name, rank, branch of service, era of service, photo and donor information (optional).

Banners will cost $140 for one year or $200 for two years and will be displayed from Memorial Day through Veterans Day at which time they will be removed and placed in storage for the winter months. Banners may be returned to the donor at their request after the display period. All orders must be received by March 1st to allow time for printing and installation by Memorial Day.

Danbury resident Lee Teicholz, who is the Program Coordinator for the Hometown Heroes Banner Program in his city, reached out to First Selectman Dan Carter to see if he would be willing to start a similar program of his own in the Town of Bethel. The Bethel Patriotic Association was excited to lead the program. Danbury’s program was started in 2022 and has been very successful.

The application can be downloaded from the website www.bethelhometownheroes.org or by stopping in at the First Selectman’s Office in the Bethel Town Hall. Applications require the filled out form, a photograph of the hero preferably in military uniform, proof of honorable discharge and a check for $140 or $200, which will cover the printing and installation costs. Even if you were not honoring a veteran, donations to support this effort would be welcomed to help offset costs. Profits from the program will be used to help support the mission of the Bethel Patriotic Association.

There are only 46 display locations available, so applications will be taken on a first come, first serve basis. If the maximum banner capacity is reached, residents will be placed on a list for their banner to be displayed the following year. Additional display locations may be added in the future depending on the success of the program.

For more information about the program and purchasing a banner, please contact Bill Hagan at (203) 313-5213 or by email at haganwilliam87@gmail.com or Lee Teicholz at (203) 512-3059 or by email at info@bethelhometownheroes.org.