Celebrating our heroes: A meaningful Flag Day at Wekiva Island

With Memorial Day and Independence Day taking center stage, there’s another patriotic holiday that is often overlooked—Flag Day.

Not this year!

Our team at Wekiva Island partnered with Heroes Strong on Flag Day, June 14, 2019, to celebrate the country and honor the flag and the heroes it stands for in the proper way.

More than 350 members of our community joined us for a truly touching Flag Retirement Ceremony, and over 100 American flags were dropped off at The Island to be respectfully retired.

We had the opportunity to share a meal with our local heroes, celebrate America and hear stories of true bravery and selflessness. But the highlight of the event was the flag retirement ceremony that honored the symbol of our nation and all it stands for.

The idea for the Flag Day celebration was sparked by David Rubin, the founder of the Wekiva Strong movement, which seeks to honor and thank first responders. With the idea, he wanted to expand Wekiva Strong to honor all heroes who serve the country via Heroes Strong.

His idea came to fruition when we saw how many first responders, army veterans and active duty members, medical staff, teachers and other civil servants participated in the event.

It was an experience like no other to see the bravery of those in our community who risk their lives day-in and day-out to ensure we the people stay safe.

We at Wekiva Island are passionate about supporting veterans, and through the Flag Day event we hoped to show our appreciation for all our heroes who strive to keep the community happy, free and safe.

Fisher House and Folds of Honor were also part of the event. Folds of Honor provides educational scholarships to spouses and children of fallen and service-disabled members. Fisher House builds houses where military and veteran families can stay free of charge while a loved one is in the hospital.

We couldn’t be prouder of our community and their dedication to supporting our heroes and our country. Thank you to all who participated. We are Wekiva Strong!