Flag program in Huntington Town raises money for needy kids

For the third year in a row, the front lawn of Huntington Town Hall is aflutter with American flags.

The Field of Honor American Flag Program honors and memorializes service members past and present while serving as a fundraiser to benefit needy children.

For $35, residents can sponsor a flag dedicated to someone whose name is placed on a gold tag attached to the flag. Barry Turk, lieutenant governor of several local Kiwanis clubs and organizer of the event, said that so far they have raised $11,000. The program officially opens Saturday and will run through Dec. 8.

“We focus on the children,” Turk said. “We want to give them a better view of the world as we would like it to be for them, while also remembering veterans.”

The event is sponsored by the town, the Kiwanis Club of Huntington and other organizations, including the Huntington Veterans Advisory Board.

Saturday, program organizers will give away an automobile to a needy veteran from Huntington township selected by the Huntington Veterans Advisory Board. Opening-day festivities will also feature a 10K run at 7:30 a.m.

Proceeds from flag sales and the run will go toward a weeklong session at Kiwanis summer camp in upstate Taberg for 40 children, Thanksgiving baskets, and an annual shopping trip for needy children for clothes and gifts. To register for the run or to buy a flag, go to www.big8fieldofhonorrun.com.

Town Supervisor Frank Petrone said that, over the years, he has purchased flags for his father, father-in-law and his daughter, who is deployed in the Middle East.

“I think this is a wonderful program that honors service people and helps those who are in need,” Petrone said.