Hunter Evans carried the folded flag, its tucked points stretching past both elbows and beyond his fingertips.
As he approached the new flag pole recently installed along State Route 38 in front of the Madison-Plains Elementary School, his principal, Kim LeGault, hooked the flag to the pole and cranked it upward.
Students outside and in the gym placed their hands over their hearts to say the Pledge of Allegiance while members of Mt. Sterling American Legion Post 417 saluted Old Glory as she flew for the first time over the elementary school.
School officials raised about $13,000 from more than 40 donors for the new flagpole after local citizens approached superintendent Tim Dettwiller with concerns about the lack of a flag at the elementary school just more than a year ago, he said. About $9,000 was given in cash and $4,000 was given in in-kind donations, such as concrete.
The flag was dedicated in a Veterans Day ceremony Wednesday afternoon. Students and more than 100 guests from the community watched the flag-raising via a live video feed in the gym. Recent rains prevented school officials from setting up bleachers and holding the ceremony in the school’s front yard.
Fourth, fifth and sixth grade students read poems about the history of the American Flag. The intermediate school glee club members led the gathered students in a vocal rendition of “God Bless America.” The high school band also performed.
“The kids, you can see, with their face-painting and U.S.A. shirts, they took it to heart,” Mt. Sterling American Legion member Carrol Liston said. “All kids pick things up here and there, and it all adds up.”
The school’s entry hallway is lined with blue stars, backed by bright red paper. The stars feature the names of area veterans, their relationships to current elementary students, and the wars in which they served, all spelled out in silver lettering. The names of more than 300 veterans were submitted for the wall, LeGault said.
After the ceremony, community attendees were invited to a modest reception in the cafeteria.
Third grade student Emilie Mossbarger was also allowed to attend the reception — her father, Shane Mossbarger, returned from a year-long stateside deployment in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.
The Mount Sterling native and 2009 Madison-Plains grad serves in the National Guard.
Members of the Madison-Plains Intermediate School glee club lead their peers in a vocal rendition of “God Bless America” during a Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony Wednesday afternoon.
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Members of the Madison-Plains Intermediate School glee club lead their peers in a vocal rendition of “God Bless America” during a Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony Wednesday afternoon.
Audrey Ingram | The Madison Press
Madison-Plains students prepare to carry a new flag to its new pole during a Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony Wednesday. Individuals and community organizations donated about $13,000 in cash and materials for a new flag and flag pole in front of the elementary school.
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Madison-Plains students prepare to carry a new flag to its new pole during a Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony Wednesday. Individuals and community organizations donated about $13,000 in cash and materials for a new flag and flag pole in front of the elementary school.
Audrey Ingram | The Madison Press
Madison-Plains student Hunter Evans carries the new flag to the new flagpole Wednesday afternoon during a Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony. Behind him from left are students Andrew Geyer and Addisyn McPherson, intermediate principal Kim LeGault, and student Katie LeGault.
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Madison-Plains student Hunter Evans carries the new flag to the new flagpole Wednesday afternoon during a Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony. Behind him from left are students Andrew Geyer and Addisyn McPherson, intermediate principal Kim LeGault, and student Katie LeGault.
Audrey Ingram | The Madison Press
Members of Mt. Sterling American Legion Post 417 salute the new flag raised in front of the Madison-Plains Elementary School Wednesday afternoon.
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Members of Mt. Sterling American Legion Post 417 salute the new flag raised in front of the Madison-Plains Elementary School Wednesday afternoon.
Audrey Ingram | The Madison Press
Madison-Plains third grader Emilie Mossbarger joins her dad, Mount Sterling native Shane Mossbarger, during a brief reception following the school’s Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony. Mossbarger returned from a year-long stateside deployment on Tuesday.
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Madison-Plains third grader Emilie Mossbarger joins her dad, Mount Sterling native Shane Mossbarger, during a brief reception following the school’s Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony. Mossbarger returned from a year-long stateside deployment on Tuesday.
Audrey Ingram | The Madison Press
Blue stars featuring the names of current and past military veterans line the front hallway of Madison-Plains Elementary School. The stars also list the war in which the veterans served and their relationship to the student who submitted their name for the wall.
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Blue stars featuring the names of current and past military veterans line the front hallway of Madison-Plains Elementary School. The stars also list the war in which the veterans served and their relationship to the student who submitted their name for the wall.
Audrey Ingram | The Madison Press
Madison-Plains Elementary School hosts flag-raising ceremony for new $13,000 flag, flagpole on Veterans Day
By Audrey Ingram
aingram@civitasmedia.com
Reach Audrey Ingram at 740-852-1616, ext. 1615 or on Twitter @Audrey.MP