St. Johns County Saves 20,000th Flag Through its American Flag Rescue Program
The program was launched in 2019 as a way for the public to retire U.S. flags properly.
St. Johns County has announced it has saved 20,000 United States flags from the trash for inclusion in official decommission ceremonies. The County’s American Flag Rescue Program started in 2019 and offers the community a proper way to retire flags with honor and respect. The Office of Public Affairs produced a video to highlight the success of the program.
The milestone of the 20,000th saved flag was achieved at The Home Depot located at 1750 U.S. 1, in St. Augustine. “Tens of thousands of Home Depot associates are veterans or military family members,” said Haley Weaver, Senior Manager of Military Relations at The Home Depot. “Playing a role in the American Flag Rescue Program is deeply personal to us and rooted in our values and longstanding commitment to these communities.”
The program saved its 20,000th flag just one year after the County announced it had saved 11,000 flags. “The public’s response and support of the program has been tremendous,” said Chris Benjamin, Outreach Coordinator, who founded the program in December 2019. “After seeing two American flags discarded in a drop-off trash container at the County landfill, I proposed and was given support from the Solid Waste Division to initiate an effort to establish public access for collecting and properly retiring old and worn American flags. We started a pilot program with collection boxes donated by WSOS radio station owner Kevin Geddings. It is humbling to see the community rally together as Americans and save 20,000 flags from the trash in less than 6 years.”
St. Johns County has over 35 American Flag Rescue Program flag drop-off locations. These include branches of the St. Johns County Public Library System, various County facilities and buildings, and every Ace Hardware store in St. Johns County. The VFW Post 2391 in St. Augustine conducts the official decommission ceremonies, and retired veterans have enlisted to monitor and maintain the various collection sites.
“With so many locations for the community to drop off their flags, every day is Flag Day in St. Johns County,” said Benjamin.
For questions about the American Flag Rescue Program, contact the St. Johns County Solid Waste Division of the Public Works Department at solidwaste@sjcfl.us or (904) 827-6980.
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