8th graders in the Peer Leaders group at Solon Middle School crafted a special event for Veterans Day this year: a flag sale.
“A few Peer Leaders would be in the concession stand every morning, November 3–10,” said Leila LaRoche. “Students could come up and buy a flag for $1 and dedicate it to a veteran close to them.”
“Some people also just donated without dedicating a flag, which was really nice,” added Bella Borenmyer.
Besides the flag sale, relatives of students and staff who served in the military had special posters displayed around the school highlighting their service.
“I’ve seen people stop and really read [the signs],” said Lillian Burk. “It’s cool to see which veterans are related to people here at school.”
The sale encouraged students at Solon Middle School to reflect on the celebration of Veteran’s Day, and what it means to serve the nation.
“Celebrating the people who were lost in war and those who served our country, even if they didn’t go to war,” said Madi Cass on the meaning of Veteran’s Day. “Being thankful for what they’ve done to allow us to have freedom and opportunity today,” added Burk. “It’s a reminder that America didn’t just start out great, people worked hard to get us here.” Furthermore, the flag sale is a continued tradition for the district, with this year being the second time the sale has been conducted.
“The flags were placed outside the middle school on the grass so people could see how many were sold,” said Borenmyer. “It represented the veterans being honored.”
“It was really successful, and we doubled what we sold last year,” said Seneca Terzano-Borovic on the sale. “We tried to advertise a lot, and students responded well by purchasing.”
After the sale concluded, the Solon Middle School Peer Leaders presented members of the Solon American Legion with the proceeds and a large flag during the High School Veteran’s Day assembly.
“A lot of Solon families have members in the Legion, so it felt local and meaningful, so it was a good choice to keep it close to home,” said Burk.
Although the peer leaders worked hard running the sale, students said that the fundraiser was fun to be a part of.
“It’s been a fun process,” said Brayden Hansel. “It’s not just work, we’re hanging out with friends while supporting veterans.”
Furthermore, during the upcoming fall assembly, students who purchased the largest number of flags will be able to pie a teacher.
“That definitely motivated people,” said Burk.