BANNER DAY FOR VETS
Fledgling program to hold kickoff event Sunday
TROY, N.Y. >> When a group of friends decided last year to honor local veterans by hanging banners throughout the city, they hoped for a positive reception from the public.
As the Troy Military Banner Committee prepares to kickoff the first full year of its campaign from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at American Legion Post 1489 on Main Avenue in Wynantskill, the response was beyond what most members even imagined. The group put up about 20 banners last fall, mainly recognizing friends and family of committee members, but when those banners start going back up this month, they will be joined by about 180 more that have been sold over the winter.
“It was like dominoes,” committee member and District 6 city Councilman John Donohue said Wednesday. “Once one family would get it, other families wanted it.”
Some of the banners will be on display Sunday, and applications will also be available. The kickoff event will also feature food, music, raffles and tributes to those who served, with the committee asking for a $5 donation at the door to help defray its expenses.
The group hopes to have the banners posted on utility poles along main thoroughfares throughout the city in time for Memorial Day on Monday, May 28, with the banners expected to remain on display until Veteran’s Day on Saturday, Nov. 11.
Donohue said applicants can ask that their banner be hung in specific neighborhoods.
The group of longtime friends kicked off the program late last summer after seeing similar programs in other area communities. With Troy’s campaign now up and running, more communities are looking at similar efforts, including Wynantskill and the city of Cohoes.
“They are lining up to pay homage to their loved ones, and they’re so appreciative about this coming to Troy,” Donohue said of the response from those paying to honor a friend or relative.
The banners are similar in size to those that have hung for several years across the river in Watervliet and including a veteran’s name, rank and branch of service, as well as a photo and specific insignia for any honors received, such as the Purple Heart, Bronze Star or Congressional Medal of Honor. Sponsorship costs $150, with each banner hung for three consecutive seasons — which committee members said is their effective lifespan before weather and other routine wear and tear make them less attractive — then given to the purchaser, who can also pay a discounted price for a new banner to be hung for another three years.
Donohue said appreciation for the program has gone beyond those who want to honor a loved one, with the city, as well as National Grid, providing logistical assistance, and military organizations eager to help, as well. The group also received an initial shot of financial support last fall from Capital Cardiology Associates — which counts two Army veterans among its physicians and another doctor whose son is in the military — with a $5,000 donation that was later augmented by a $1,200 Bicentennial Grant from the city.
For more i nformation on the program or to get an application for a banner, visit the committee’s Facebook page at www. facebook. com/ groups/ 193386171079215 or email TroyBanners@ gmail.com.