Hometown Heroes banners available for a limited time

By Terry Harris

The Waverly Hometown Heroes Banner project, begun last year to honor local military veterans with colorful flags bearing their images along the town’s main street, was a huge success.  Now an influx of requests from citizens who want to include additional veterans with Waverly ties has prompted  Mayor Angela McPhaul to announce a third opportunity to purchase the banners.  But time is short. 

“We love displaying our Hometown Heroes between Memorial Day and Veterans Day,” said McPhaul, “and are thrilled that this project continues to get support from the community. Our first order last year was for 18 flags, and we had such a demand for more flags we ordered another 10. As we continue to get inquiries, we decided it was time to do third order for Memorial Day 2023.” 

“We only will be taking orders for this round on a first come, first served basis until the March 15 deadline,” McPhaul said, explaining that it takes a minimum of 10 flags to place an order for the custom-made banners and that the cutoff date is to allow time for them to be back and ready to hang by Memorial Day.

A high quality photo of the veteran to be honored is required for each banner, and the actual cost for making them is $175 each. As the town is doing this as an honor for veterans, not a fund-raiser, according to McPhaul the entire fee goes for the banner itself.

“We really are excited about adding the new banners to the ones everyone so enjoyed seeing last year,” she exclaimed, and the gathering we had to honor our Veterans and their families when we hung the first batch was so well-received – and so much fun - that we look forward to a similar gathering honoring our vets for the second and now, this, the third batch of Hometown Heroes banners.” 

“We honestly had no idea what to expect when we began this,” she said, “and I am so happy at the incredible response.”

For questions about the project, call Waverly Town Hall at 804.834.2330.