ONTARIO, Ohio — After months of fundraising, the Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging Foundation was prepared to reveal its recently installed flag pole to the public on Thursday and hold a flag dedication ceremony that afternoon.
The ceremony, which was held outside the Area Agency on Aging facility at Hawkins Corner, drew several public safety officials, government officials, veterans, current members of the military–including those serving at the local unit of the Ohio Air National Guard, the 179th Airlift Wing–as well as members of the community.
Duana Patton, CEO of the Area Agency on Aging, explained that the agency’s funds are earmarked specifically for services to seniors, “so when we wanted to take on this project [of installing a flagpole], we had to raise money to do that.”
She said they held multiple fundraisers to cover the cost of the flag, pole, lighting and installation, which amounted to about $10,000.
The largest fundraiser they held was the Celebrity Omelet Breakfast EGGSTRAVAGANZA that occurred in May. Modern Woodmen of America co-hosted the event and matched the proceeds with a $2,500 donation.
Patton noted, “We serve a lot of veterans in our programs, and we work very closely with the veterans commission, and when we moved out here, we had the flags in the lobby, but that just wasn’t a big enough statement for us.”
Col. Gary McCue, Commander of the 179th Airlift Wing, described the flag as a “neat tribute to all those who serve.”
As part of the ceremony, veterans were asked to stand when the service song of the military branch in which they served was played. The crowd cheered as they rose from their seats.
Tony DeLong, executive director of the Richland County Veterans Service Commission, said that Richland County is home to 11,000 veterans.
He expressed his gratitude for the community’s support, saying, “Richland County is a very loving and giving community. Yesterday, we had our veterans benefit fair, and there was as many people there to support our veterans as the veterans that walked through the door.”
Tribute was also paid to public safety officials.
Richland County Sheriff Steve Sheldon said that there are approximately 1.1 million law enforcement officers in the country, adding that there’s an average of 117 law enforcement officers killed every year in the line of duty.
He read the names of the 13 officers shot in the line of duty in Richland County, noting, “Three of those officers died in the line of duty; the others were wounded.”
He continued, “On behalf of law enforcement, thank you for letting us attend this event. We’re very mindful of the law enforcement duties and obligations in this community. And I can assure you that all of the law enforcement agencies in this county will do everything possible to protect and serve the citizens of this county.”
The ceremony was held just one day before the 14th anniversary of 9/11. Keith Markley, chairman of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Mid-Ohio Advisory Board, said events like Thursday’s ceremony serves as a good reminder of what happened that day. “We need to remember the survivors’ families, the civilians, the law enforcement, the EMS, the military, the firefighters–everybody,” he said.
Ontario Mayor Randy Hutchinson said he participated in the celebrity omelet fundraiser in May. “We cooked some omelets earlier this year and had a lot of fun doing that to raise the money. It’s nice to finally see this come to fruition,” he said.
