A child’s commitment to honoring America’s veterans
One night while scrolling through social media with her mother, 8-year-old Lorelei saw an ad that caught her attention. It was for DAV Field of Flags program, and from the moment Lorelei saw it, she felt it was her duty to bring a field of American flags to her community to honor the sacrifices of veterans.
“She said that since we didn’t have a field of flags here in our community, she wanted to make one of her own,” said Lorelei’s mother, Anna. “From there, we started doing research on what the program was and how to get started.”
DAV Field of Flags program encourages schools, organizations and individuals to turn their spaces into patriotic memorials to honor local veterans and to raise critical funds to support ill and injured veterans. The most popular campaign is an outdoor planted flag campaign kit.
As she learned more about the program, Lorelei quickly recognized its importance and saw it as a meaningful way to honor her late grandfather, a Marine and Army veteran. Motivated by the goal of collecting as many flags as possible, she began fundraising with the support of her family.
“We started looking for a way to fundraise,” said Anna. “We decided on setting up an apple stand on the major road at the end of our block, and we shared it on social media.”
The stand was an instant success and resulted in Lorelei raising over $1,500 and accumulating 142 American flags for her field. Lorelei and her family planted the flags at a nearby park where their community could come and honor their local veterans on Veterans Day.
“As an 8-year-old girl, I mean, that’s just amazing,” said DAV South Dakota State Commander Kim Hubers, who made a special visit to meet Lorelei on Veterans Day. “The work that her family has done, the legacy they’ve left for her grandpa, is amazing. He’s living on through this and through Lorelei today, which is just incredible.”
Lorelei is one of many DAV supporters who will be honoring our ill and injured veterans this Veterans Day by hosting their own field of flags. Will you join DAV—and young fundraisers like Lorelei—to support our nation’s heroes? Register today to create your own field of American flags!
