The Exchange Club of Mount Olive is holding its inaugural Field of Heroes event May 17-27. Anyone can participate by purchasing a flag, in honor or memory of a hero, from the Exchange Club; plus there are sponsorship opportunites for businesses. Members of the public will be welcome to walk through and enjoy the display, similar to what is happening in the photo, showing a previous year’s Field of Heroes event in Lake Norman. (The Exchange Club of Lake Norman|Courtesy photo)
For several years, the Exchange Club of Lake Norman has been holding a Field of Heroes event, as shown here. The Exchange Club of Mount Olive will begin holding a similar event this year, May 17-27, in the field beside Roberts Machine and Supply on Hwy. 55 in Mount Olive. (The Exchange Club of Lake Norman|Courtesy photo)
Is there a hero you’d like to honor? Maybe it’s someone in the military or law enforcement. Perhaps it’s a teacher who greatly influenced your life. It might even be a neighbor who lent a helping hand when you were in need. You can pay tribute to that person through the Exchange Club of Mount Olive’s Field of Heroes.
The Field of Heroes, to be located in the field beside Roberts Machine & Supply on Hwy. 55 in Mount Olive, will be made up of row after row of American flags, each flag measuring three feet by five feet. To see that your hero — living or deceased — is honored, you’ll need to purchase a flag from the Exchange Club, and it will be displayed in the field, along with a personalized tag identifying you and the person you’re honoring or paying tribute to.
Belinda Parent, president-elect of the Exchange Club of Mount Olive, explains that this is a popular project with other Exchange Clubs across the state. “I attended a conference this past fall and sat with some great folks from Troutman, and as they described their event, I fell in love with it!” she says. “The way they described the project, it sounded like something our community would really enjoy.”
The flags will be put on display May 17 and will remain there for 10 days, leading up to a dedication ceremony on Memorial Day, May 27, that will feature a flag color guard, a reading of the heroes’ names, and, likely, speakers from local civic groups.
During the first weekend of the display, two different Girl Scout Troops will camp on-site to watch over the flags; during the second weekend, a Boy Scout Troop and a Cub Scout Pack will do the honors. Over the course of the 10-day display, the public is invited to walk through and enjoy it.
Exchange Club members are currently pre-selling flags, with plans to place their order on April 1. Extra flags will be ordered, so the public can continue purchasing flags up to Memorial Day. The cost of each flag is $40 (or $42 if ordered online). All money raised will be used to help with community projects.
Following the Memorial Day ceremony, anyone who purchased a flag will be able to take it home, along with the pole topper, display pole and rebar, and donor tag. “This way they can take it home and continue to honor their hero,” Parent notes.
Additionally, the Exchange Club is looking for sponsors for the event, and those are available in amounts ranging from $100 (Friend of the Field) to $1500 (Presenting).
For additional information, go to the Exchange Club’s website at https://exchangeclubofmountolive.square.site and click on the “events” tab; email FieldOfHeroes.MountOlive@gmail.com; contact Belinda Parent at belindaparent@yahoo.com; or talk with any Exchange Club member.
