Flags For Heroes

07/04/2026

Today, we celebrate the birth of our great nation and all of the freedoms we cherish as Americans. As you spend time with your family and friends enjoying backyard barbecues and fireworks, we hope you'll also take some time to remember the men and women whose courage, service, and sacrifice have provided those freedoms for generations.
At Flags for Heroes, every flag flown was a tribute to someone who has made a difference: all veterans, active-duty military, first responders, healthcare workers, educators, community leaders, loved ones, and everyday heroes. Their stories remind us that the blessings of liberty have always been upheld by individuals willing to serve others.
As our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, we are especially grateful to everyone who participated in this year's Flags for Heroes display by honoring the heroes in their lives. Your support helps ensure these stories of service, sacrifice, and patriotism continue to inspire our community. The proceeds from our display enable the Clayton Rotary Club to give back to our community through many initiatives.
From all of us at Flags for Heroes / Clayton Rotary Club, we wish you and your family a safe, joyful, and happy Independence Day.
🇺🇸 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆! 🇺🇸

06/29/2026

Today, June 29, 2026, we dropped off both 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 and 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 medallions at the office of The Old Mill Group Real Estate. For those sponsors, including Rotarians, who have not picked up their medallions from last year or this year, may do so between the hours of:
𝟵:𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟰:𝟬𝟬 𝗽𝗺 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝘁
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝟰𝟮𝟯 𝗘 𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁, 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗖.
If you chose to have your medallion(s) mailed to you when you ordered the sponsorship, your medallions were dropped off at the Clayton Post Office this morning.
Thank you again for your sponsorship!

06/27/2026

Today, June 27, 2026, we finally lowered our 1,000 flags, marking the conclusion of this year's Flags for Heroes display.
A dedicated team of Clayton Rotary Club and outside volunteers carefully lowered each flag, rolled it, and placed each one in its protective sleeve so we can store them until they are called upon once again. To everyone who gave their time and energy today, we thank you. This display would not be possible without your willingness to serve.
A special thank you to Hudson's Hardware & Outdoor Equipment- Clayton/Selma for providing the truck each year for both our Opening Ceremony and Flag Lowering. It is an incredible help, and it has become a meaningful way to keep Leigh Hudson with us each year as we raise and lower the flags. We are deeply grateful for your continued support.
We also extend our sincere appreciation to UNC Health Johnston for graciously allowing us to use the property each year. Because of your generosity, we have a beautiful and meaningful place where our community can gather to honor our heroes and reflect on their service and sacrifice.
The flags remained on display longer than originally planned because last weekend's storms left them completely saturated. Many have asked why we don't leave the display up through July 4, especially during our nation's 250th anniversary. While we would love to keep them flying longer, the field is exposed to strong winds and summer storms that can quickly damage the flags. When that happens, we must respectfully retire them and replace them at a great cost. After last year's display, we had to replace 700 flags before this year's event, underscoring the importance of protecting them so they can continue honoring heroes for years to come. During today's flag lowering, we found newly damaged flags after this year's display as well.
To every individual, family, business, and organization that sponsored a flag, we thank you. Your support not only helps us honor heroes but also enables the Clayton Rotary Club to invest in our community through scholarships, service projects, food insecurity initiatives, local programs, charitable giving, and more. Together, you help us put Service Above Self into action.
As the field now stands empty, we hope the memories remain. Every one of those sponsored flags represented someone who has made a difference to someone in our community: a veteran, first responder, healthcare worker, teacher, community leader, family member, friend, or someone whose quiet acts of kindness changed a life. While they are truly beautiful to see, Flags for Heroes has never been just about the flags. It's also about the stories, the gratitude, and the reminder that heroes are all around us.
Thank you for making this year's display so meaningful. We look forward to honoring even more heroes with you next year. 🇺🇸

06/24/2026

Medallions for 2026 Flags For Heroes that sponsors elected to pick up in person may be picked up:
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟳, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
𝟬𝟵:𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗺 - 𝟭𝟬:𝟯𝟬 𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆
𝗟𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗛𝘂𝗱𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿
After that, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟵, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲,
Mondays-Fridays 09:00 am to 04:00 pm, you may pick up at:
The Old Mill Group Real Estate
423 E 2nd Street
Clayton
Thank you to The Old Mill Group Real Estate for serving as our secondary medallion pickup location!
For those who elected to have us mail their medallions will receive theirs via USPS at the address they specified.

06/19/2026

Due to the significant rainfall we received overnight and this morning, our Flags for Heroes display is completely saturated. Unfortunately, we are unable to lower the flags on Saturday, June 20, as originally planned.
To properly care for the flags and ensure they remain in excellent condition for future displays, they must be completely dry before being rolled, placed in their protective sleeves, and carefully stored.
𝗔𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁, 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟳, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, 𝗮𝘁 𝟵:𝟬𝟬 𝗮.𝗺.
A notification regarding medallion pickup location, dates, and times will be provided by Wednesday, June 24, 2026, for those sponsors who plan to pick up their medallions.
Thank you for your continued support of Flags for Heroes and for helping us honor the heroes who make a difference in our lives every day.
Photo is of our Flags for Heroes display from 2022. Photo Credit: Kristin Brown.

06/16/2026

🇺🇸 The 2026 Flags for Heroes display at the Leigh Hudson Field of Honor will come to a close on Saturday, June 20, 2026.

We will begin lowering the flags at 9:00 AM, and sponsors who indicated they wanted to pick up their medallions may do so between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM.

If you haven't had a chance to visit the Leigh Hudson Field of Honor this year, there's still time! We encourage you to stop by before Saturday to walk among the flags, reflect on the heroes they honor, and capture a few photos of this beautiful and inspiring display.

Most importantly, we thank all of our sponsors who honored their heroes through this year's Flags for Heroes display. Your participation helps us recognize those who have made a difference in our lives and our community while supporting the service projects of the Clayton Rotary Club.

We also extend our sincere gratitude to our land sponsor, UNC Health Johnston, for once again allowing us to use this beautiful location for the Leigh Hudson Field of Honor. Their partnership helps make this inspiring tribute possible each year.

Thank you to everyone who sponsored a flag, volunteered, visited the field, and helped make this year's Flags for Heroes a meaningful tribute to the heroes in our lives. 🇺🇸

06/10/2026

A huge thank you to Jim Gurney of Johnston Aerial for sharing this incredible 360-degree panoramic aerial view of the Leigh Hudson Field of Honor! Captured with a DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone, this unique perspective showcases the breathtaking display of hundreds of American flags honoring our heroes and the community that supports them.
This interactive video reminds us of the true scale and impact of Flags for Heroes. Every flag represents someone special—a veteran, active-duty service member, first responder, healthcare worker, teacher, mentor, family member, or friend who has made a difference in someone's life.
Take a moment to zoom in on this video and explore the panorama. Thank you, Jim, for helping us see the Field of Honor from a whole new perspective. 🇺🇸
It's not too late to honor your own hero(es) with a flag. Visit: https://www.claytonrotaryclub.org/about-flags-for-heroes/
to learn more and sponsor flags.


https://youtu.be/5SUvUsDe-ds

Experience the Rotary Club of Clayton's 7th Annual Flags For Heroes...

06/08/2026

This past week, we added more Individual Sponsors! So many heroes being honored; we love it! 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗦! Our sponsored flag count so far is over 𝟯𝟴𝟯 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘀.
Our striking display of flags will run through Saturday, June 20, 2026. Please join us as an Individual or Corporate Sponsor and honor your hero(es). Your sponsorship enables the Clayton Rotary Club to provide community programs, donate to worthy causes, and award scholarships to local high school seniors, among other initiatives. You get to see a 3' x 5' American Flag on a 10' pole fly in your hero's honor in the Leigh Hudson Field of Honor next to the pond adjacent to UNC Health Johnston on Veterans Parkway in Clayton, NC. Each flag will have a medallion with your name and your hero's name on it, and you get to keep the medallion at the end of our display.
To learn more and sponsor flags, go to https://www.claytonrotaryclub.org/about-flags-for-heroes/ or stop by the information table at the field and sponsor a flag in person with one of the Clayton Rotarian volunteers this week through Saturday, June 13, 2026 10 am to 6 pm.

06/06/2026

Karen "Happy" Hudson and Buddy Hudson were on duty last week at the Leigh Hudson Field of Honor! 🐾🇺🇸
Buddy proudly sported Leigh's famous "Flag Commander" hat while posing with Happy, who is a Gold Sponsor of Flags for Heroes this year. Together, they spent time volunteering at our information table, where visitors can ask questions, get help locating sponsored flags, sponsor additional flags, or purchase official Flags for Heroes t-shirts.
As we approach the final days of this year's display, there is still time to honor the heroes who have made a difference in your life. Whether it's a veteran, active-duty military member, first responder, healthcare worker, teacher, family member, or anyone who inspires you, a sponsored flag is a meaningful tribute.
You can sponsor a flag online at https://www.claytonrotaryclub.org/about-flags-for-heroes/
or stop by the volunteer table at the Leigh Hudson Field of Honor on Veterans Pkwy next to the pond adjacent to UNC Health Johnston and one of our Clayton Rotary Club volunteers will be happy to assist you.
Don't miss this opportunity to Honor Your Heroes at the Leigh Hudson Field of Honor! 🇺🇸❤️