By Kate Lohnes

The Rotary Club of Westerville Sunrise will cover the yard of the Westerville Sports Complex with American flags to honor military service members. The “Field of Heroes” project will wave throughout Memorial Day weekend, from May 22 to May 25.

Field of Heroes is a concept similar to Healing Fields, a national project from the Colonial Flag Foundation. Healing Fields were first created to commemorate the lives lost in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Since the first Healing Field display in Utah in 2002, hundreds of communities across the country have hosted similar commemorations to raise money and awareness for a number of causes.

While licensed with the Colonial Flag Foundation as a Healing Field, the Westerville Field of Heroes has broadened its scope. People from the Westerville community may dedicate flags to their personal heroes – whether it’s a family member, friend, coach, teacher or someone else.

This is the first time a Healing Field has been hosted in Westerville.

“Westerville seems like it has very strong police and fire departments, and it’s very patriotic,” says Pat Knott, chairman for Westerville’s field. “We thought (the event) was a natural fit. Westerville’s a great patriotic, all-American city.”

The field will display of a minimum of 1,500 American flags, each standing at 8 feet tall, across from the Westerville Community Center on Cleveland Avenue.

“We’re anticipating we’ll have, at a minimum, 7,500 visitors come to the field over the weekend,” he says. “From what we’ve seen in other communities that have done these fields, we think it will draw a lot of people who just want to see it. It’s going to be such a moving experience.”

An opening ceremony is May 23 at 10 a.m. The Hawthorne Elementary Choir will perform the Star Spangled Banner, and the Pentagon has cleared the field for a jet flyover. Additional activities have been planned throughout the weekend, including a non-denominational service May 24.

Members of the public may purchase a flag that will stand in the Field of Heroes. Flags are 3 feet by 5 feet in dimension and cost $30. Flags will be flown with a tag to identify the persons being honored. Flags may be picked up on May 25 after 1 p.m. For an additional $5, the flag can be sent to you after the event.

Those interested in purchasing a flag can visit www.fieldofheroes.org or request an order form by writing Westerville Sunrise Field of Heroes, P.O. Box 1200, Westerville, OH 43086-1200.

Kate Lohnes is assistant editor of Westerville Magazine.

Proceeds from the Field of Heroes go toward the Westerville Sunrise Foundation’s programs. The foundation currently supports several local causes, such as Children’s Hunger Alliance, Westerville schools and Westerville Area Resource Ministry (WARM).

The Boys Scouts of America, Gallery 202, Partners in Art, Inc. and Rotary Interact Clubs are also helping sell the flags and will receive partial proceeds.