Heroes Park American Flag Campaign

What does the National Anthem mean to you? For many of us, the anthem invokes that magical feeling you get in your stomach, that hard to describe feeling of battling back butterflies prior to a kick off or that nervous feeling you have just before a jump ball at tip off.  To this day, I can close my eyes and still hear the band playing.  I recall the smell of hamburgers and hot dogs lingering in the air, and, most importantly, I remember my teammates.  Us, a unit, standing shoulder to shoulder…pride in our hearts.  It is this sense of pride and team unity that drives many to go beyond the playing fields and gymnasium floors, to go on to greater things.  It leads many of our finest to serve in our great nation’s armed forces.  These brave men and women go on to serve under our flag and our anthem.  A selfless act of service, voluntarily given by some, for all Americans.  

Our National Anthem evokes our flag, that ‘Star-Spangled Banner.’  In school, we learn of Francis Scott Key, and how he was inspired to pen the anthem’s words after seeing our nation’s flag flying over Ft McHenry in Baltimore’s harbor.  The anthem and our flag also have a history long entwined with sports in this country.  In fact, earliest documented playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” was at a sporting event was in 1862- During our American Civil War!  Some historians credit a baseball game played in 1918 between the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox as the first formal playing of the Anthem. Unlike today, that Anthem was played during the 7th inning stretch. During WWII, the National Anthem truly became the integral part of sporting events as we know it.   In fact, after the war’s end in 1945, the NFL Commissioner declared his intention to make the National Anthem part of every football game.  The rest is, I guess as they say, history! 

We at Lake Nona Youth Sports are blessed to have access to a beautiful park located directly behind the Lake Nona’s Veteran Affairs Hospital.  When I, as a youth football coach tell my kids to turn and face the direction of the VA, I don’t ask them to turn North- I ask them to turn and face the hero’s watching down over our practices.  How great would it be for our community to come together to give those great veterans an American flag to see from hospital’s windows.  Providing a flag, an American flag, flying high and proud over our fields is something that both our veterans and our kids, the leaders of tomorrow can and should enjoy while playing the sports they love.  

Our proposal is simple.  We wish to raise $3,675.00 for a commercial grade, flag and 35-foot flagpole.  We have already secured a construction company that will donate their time to put the pole in the ground, so all monies raised during this drive will go towards the purchase of the flag and flagpole at beautiful Hero’s Park.  Our hope is that this simple, selfless gesture will build patriotism and instill a sense of pride within our youth and that this be an enduring gift to the thousands of veterans at the veteran’s hospital.  As an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization, run by parents within the Lake Nona Community, we thank you on behalf of all the student athletes, coaches, and families. We thank you for assisting us in any way you can.  

Please consider donating today at our Go Fund Me page.  Collectively, with you, your family and friends, we’re sure we will reach this great goal. 

 

All The Best,

Lake Nona Youth Sports

www.lakenonayouthsports.org