Kiwanis Club of Marble Falls can turn you red, white and blue

EDITOR DANIEL CLIFTON

Businesses in Marble Falls sport red, white, and blue on patriotic holidays as part of the Kiwanis Club of Marble Falls flag program.

“It makes the streets look so much more attractive when you see all those flags on them,” said Jim Hower, a Kiwanis Club member.

Businesses and individuals donate $50 the first year and $40 each renewal year to participate. Once a business or individual signs on, the club takes over, placing flags on location during patriotic days of importance. They even install the flag holders, Hower said.

Kiwanis Club members set out flags on the mornings of Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Patriots’ Day (9/11), and Veterans Day. They take them down before sunset.

The flag program began in 1996 and has been the club’s major annual fundraiser since. Proceeds support local youth programs and scholarships, including the Marble Falls High School aerospace class trip to launch a rocket from the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The local Kiwanis Club gave $3,000 toward the $10,000 trip in June, which must be completely paid for through donations.

The club also donates proceeds through the Marble Falls Education Foundation, which provides scholarships to students and funding to educational endeavors not paid for in the school district’s budget.

The ability to support these programs while showing pride in country are exactly why Kiwanis Club members love their community flag program, Hower said.

“Right now, we have about two hundred businesses and a few individuals who participate,” he continued. “We can always use more.”

Those interested in taking part in the Kiwanis Club of Marble Falls flag program should contact Hower at (713) 885-1868 or jamesahower@gmail.com.

For more information about the club, visit marblefallskiwanis.org.

daniel@thepicayune.com