Charity Flags Stolen in Sedalia; Local Kiwanis Group Asks For Help
Flag Day is coming up this weekend. Specifically, it'll be on June 14th. Maybe... we can still save it.
It's a day to honor everything about the American flag - it's creation, the adoption of the flag, and it's also the day the US Army celebrates its birthday. So it's kind of a big deal, and lots of people in West Central Missouri would like to celebrate it.
One local organization that does celebrate it is the Sedalia Kiwanis. You probably heard about their Avenue of Flags Project. If not, you can read about it here. Anyway, it's a thing they like to do to come by local businesses and put up flags. Let's say you're with Important Service Company, and you want to celebrate the holidays with flags, but... ya'll are busy. You've got a business to run. You're short staffed. You have enough to do. So, you reach out to the local Kiwanis, and for a small fee they'll put up a few flags before the holiday, and then take them down for you at your business when each holiday is over. The holidays in question? Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Patriot Day, and Veterans Day.
So it's a win win, really, because the Kiwanis uses that money to fund scholarships for local kids, sponsor a family at Christmas, all sorts of things right here in the neighborhood. So the business gets to have a no hassle way to celebrate while also helping out in Sedalia. There have been quite a few businesses who signed up, and it's been nice to see. If you want to sign up, you still can, just use this link.
However.
I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but this past weekend, there were several thefts of the flags around town. Five have been taken from all along 65 Highway, at least two have been taken from Central Bank, as well as another from McDonald's.... it's still trickling in what's missing. I think the latest number I heard was about twelve flags stolen.
Guys, Kiwanis is asking for your help with this. Those flags are a big expense for the group, who have spent countless hours planning, signing up businesses, and spreading the word. Then, you have to remember the physical effort. Groups of two or three people have visited each location, set up each and every flag (in this weather, mind you), and spent their valuable time and effort on each one. They did it because they wanted to, and because it was the right thing to do, and to see that destroyed is disheartening. Yes, a local charity group did that, volunteering their time and money just to do something good.
Now, here's the thing. I don't know if you saw someone take a flag, or if you saw a friend or cousin or whoever come home with a bunch of bonus flags, or.. maybe you thought they were set up for free or something. Maybe you thought nobody would mind if you took one, because it's a flag, so it's important to have, you know? Maybe you thought it was some faceless corporate group that put them out - I know it can be hard to feel sorry for a huge company. What's fifty bucks to a billon dollar corporation, right?
But. You didn't take a bible from a megahotel. You took a flag from a small, local group that wants to give that neighbor kid that's graduating this year a few extra bucks. You took a flag from a group that wants to spend that money on a family that just lost everything at Christmas. You took money, essentially, from a group that runs a program in Sedalia elementary schools to encourage kids to bring their grades up. If you think about it, you'll probably think again. It doesn't matter why though, really. The thing is, if you feel bad about it (and I'm not saying you should but... you should), you can absolutely make it right.
But I know, its embarrassing to admit when you've done something wrong. Especially if you didn't think you were hurting anybody. That's why Kiwanis are offering a No Questions Asked return policy. If you know someone who has a bunch of random bonus flags now, or if you took one and didn't realize, or if you took one and did realize but now you want to return it, you can drop off the flags at the KSIS studio (2209 South Limit) or Preferred Properties (3300 W 16th Street) anytime.
Again, no questions asked.
I hope you do. This project has been a lot of work to do a lot of good, and has been recognized by the Chamber of Commerce, so... if you think it's a vanity project, please reconsider.
Flagly yours,
Behka
More From KIX 105.7
