TradeWinds' Giant Flag on the Sand

This July Fourth, the red, white and blue banner of our country will be on St. Pete Beach and made out of something commonly found on any beachgoer.

For the past six years, has made a colonial 13-star flag on the beach made out of red, white and blue towels.

The flag is usually about 60 feet by 80 feet and uses more than 1,000 towels, but it can be even larger depending how many people are helping out, said Bob McManaway, the director of plant operations at the TradeWinds.

The laying out of the flag starts about 7 a.m. on the Fourth of July and usually takes about two and a half hours to completely lay out, McManaway said. The flag is then out for people to look at throughout the afternoon.

McManaway is a veteran and came up with the idea six years ago.

McManaway was the director of laundry at the time and wanted to do something to show support for the troops on Independence Day.

“There were some towels that we couldn’t use them anymore. Bob said that it would be great idea to take the towels and dye them blue and red and make a big mosaic out there on the beach,” said Travis Johnson, vice president of marketing at the TradeWinds.

Guests at the time were invited to help lay the colored towels on the sand and were eager to help out with the tribute, Johnson said.

“People want to get involved, and they think it’s a great thing for the troops,” Johnson said.

The tradition of having guests help out continues, Johnson said. Everyone can grab some of the towels and help lay them out into the shape of the flag. Younger guests at the hotel are able to get even more involved with the flag.

“We invite young guests to come out with a star and crouch down where the stars would be on the flag. So from an overhead shot, they can be involved as the stars on the flag,” Johnson said.

When it first started, the guests just helped lay the flag on the beach, but their role has grown throughout the years, Johnson said. Now, the TradeWinds also invites guests to send letters to the troops overseas, and this year they have a list of items to create care packages for soldiers abroad.

The flag isn’t just viewable by guests, Johnson said. Anyone walking along St. Pete Beach behind the TradeWinds will be able to see the flag laying on the sand. The guests get the advantage of seeing it from a birds-eye view, though.