MOOSE JAW — The Rotary Club of Moose Jaw Wakamow’s Canadian flag project continues to gain popularity in the community, with all proceeds raised supporting the group’s many service projects locally and abroad.
“The enthusiasm for the Fly the Flag with Rotary fundraiser has been tremendous. Subscribers are very keen to display a Canadian flag in their front yard to show their pride in our country,” said Marian Kettlewell, who, along with her husband David, co-ordinates the program.
This is the second year for this initiative, which sees volunteers install Canadian flags on properties just before the long weekends in May (Victoria Day), July (Canada Day) and September (Labour Day).
Members then remove the flags — the banners are three feet by five feet and attached to a 10-foot-long pole staked into the ground — about a week later.
The Rotary Club of Moose Jaw Wakamow had more than 200 residents and businesses fly flags for several days in May, Kettlewell reported.
“Let’s colour our communities red and white and show everyone how much we care for this country,” she remarked.
A new location where the Canadian flags are flying is the Moose Jaw Armoury, where a row of banners on Main Street North has received plenty of attention, Kettlewell continued. Many members of the Canadian Armed Forces — active and retired — have said that they are thrilled with the display.
The Rotary Club members installed the flags with permission from the Saskatchewan Dragoons, while other individuals, organizations and businesses sponsored the installation costs, she pointed out.
The sponsors included Arlene Wuschke, Lyle Johnson, Athabasca Financial, Bugsy’s Restaurant, Smitty’s Restaurant, The Friendly City Optimist Club, the Friends of the Forces Fellowship, Minuteman Press, the ANAVETS Club No. 252, Murray GMC, Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 59, the Dragoons, Strictly Fences and The Mad Greek.
Kettlewell extended the club’s appreciation to other groups and businesses that had helped with the project. These groups included Cypress Paving, Eecol Electric, and Routific, a Canadian developer of route optimization software that the club uses to manage the installation and removal of the flags.
While the Rotary Club’s fundraiser is helping residents display their love for Canada, the group is using the donations to support its annual service projects, said Kettlewell.
Many groups and organizations benefit from the club’s donations — mostly in Moose Jaw and around the area, but also in areas elsewhere in the world — such as Guatemala — that require support, she added. Rotary has 1.2 million people worldwide; the two clubs in Moose Jaw welcome new people to join.
Other fundraisers the Rotary Club of Moose Jaw Wakamow is planning this year include pancake breakfasts on Saturday mornings in July and August. The first two breakfasts are on Friday and Saturday at Sidewalk Days in front of Zion United Church. Then Starting on Saturday, July 12, the club will hold its breakfasts at the Kiwanis River Park Pavilion in Wakamow Valley.
Also, the club will hold an Art in the Attic Sale on Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Centre for Arts and Culture. People can donate their unwanted wall art — such as paintings, posters, prints, needlework and empty frames — starting in August. The club will then sell the art at reasonable prices.
Residents and businesses can participate in the flag initiative up to Labour Day for a donation of $60. To take part, visit rotaryclubofmoosejawwakamow.org, click on the flag fundraiser image and enter personal information and credit card number.
Those who want to purchase a flag subscription as a gift or for a second location can complete the subscription form again with the additional name and location.
Subscribers do not need to be home when Rotarians install or remove the flags. Instead, the volunteers stick the hollow metal pole into the ground about two feet from the yard’s front edge. Subscribers are encouraged to let the club know about any underground sprinklers, which volunteers will avoid during installations.
Besides Moose Jaw, the resort villages of North Grove, South Lake and Sun Valley and the hamlet of Parkview at Buffalo Pound Lake are also participating, plus the Village of Elbow and Palliser Regional Park.
