New Field of Flag Sponsorships and Renewals Now Being Accepted

Citizens for Milford is continuing its partnership with the Milford Corps of the Salvation Army to expand the Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags, a tribute acknowledging the service and sacrifice of our veterans and active military personnel with a display of American flags to be placed in Draper Memorial Park on five patriotic holidays each year. The next display will be installed this Veterans Day.

All area citizens, organizations, and businesses are invited to sponsor a 3′ x 5′ American flag to fly on a 10′ staff in Draper Memorial Park for a $60 donation. Each flag will include a yellow ribbon with an attached card naming the person being honored, the honoree’s military branch and years of service, and the sponsor’s name. Sponsors can choose to honor a veteran (alive or deceased), an active member of the military, or all our nation’s veterans. Previous sponsors are encouraged to renew their flag sponsorship for another year.

The $60 donation sponsors a flag in Draper Park for all five of the following patriotic holidays: Veterans Day 2018 and Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day 2019.

Field of Flags Chairperson Peter Scandone says, “Since we launched the Field of Flags two years ago, we have accepted sponsorships for nearly 150 flags, each one honoring the heroism of our many local veterans and active duty service members. Our goal is to have every one of those flags renewed and to gather enough new flag sponsorships so that we will be installing 200 flags this Veterans Day.”

To sponsor or renew a flag for the Draper Memorial Park Field of Flags project, citizens need to complete a sponsorship form and mail it to the address provided on the form with a $60 check made out to the Salvation Army before November 2. The sponsorship order form can also be printed from the CitizensforMilford.com website. Requests for a sponsorship form can be submitted by email to CitizensforMilford@gmail.com.

Draper Memorial Park occupies a triangle of land in the downtown Milford area, located at the intersection of Congress Street and Main Street. The park features monuments that list the names of veterans who served during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Standing tall in the park is the statue of General William Franklin Draper by sculptor Daniel Chester French, whose work also includes the massive marble statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The care and management of Draper Memorial Park falls under the authority of the Milford Parks Commission and Milford Veterans Services. Citizens for Milford is grateful for both office’s enthusiastic support for this project.

About Citizens for Milford

Citizens for Milford is a volunteer, nonpartisan, grassroots organization, which includes a diverse group of citizens who care about our community. Participation in our projects and events is open to everyone in Milford. More information is available on the group’s website CitizensforMilford.com.