Sandston Rotary Club celebrates heroes

Since its founding in 1957, the Sandston Rotary Club has played a key role in the development of the eastern Henrico community – both literally, as in the brick-and-mortar sense, and figuratively.

Rotarians from the club helped with construction of buildings for the Sandston Volunteer Rescue Squad and the Chickahominy YMCA, and over the years contributed to such causes as scholarship funds at local schools, a van for the USO at Richmond International Airport, and iPads for Montrose Elementary School students.

Rotarians have also volunteered in mentoring and after-school programs, helped to provide cherished championship rings to local football players, and donated to Good Neighbor Village, a residential community for adults with intellectual disabilities.

But in all of their good works through the decades, few programs have captured the public imagination – or garnered the public’s appreciation – as much as Flags for Heroes.

Heroes of all types

Begun in 2022 as part of a national program, the display kicks off the week before Memorial Day (and again prior to Veterans Day) and consists of rows of American flags set up in a field adjacent to C&F Bank in Sandston.

For $50, anyone can sponsor a flag. All flags come with medallions naming the honorees – many of whom are veterans.

Rotarian Danny Norvell, for instance, has sponsored flags for his late father, Buddy Norvell, a Korean War veteran and Rotarian. Norvell has also sponsored flags for his stepson, Shane Lawler, who fought in Iraq, and for his father-in-law, Goldman Smith. Smith served in Korea, and followed that service with a long career as a Henrico police officer.

But Tracy Pendleton, the club’s president-elect, emphasizes that the flags pay tribute to inspirational figures and role models of all kinds.

“You can sponsor a flag for anyone who’s been a mentor or a hero to you personally,” Pendleton says. Current club president Marcel Lambrechts notes that flags have been dedicated to teachers, coaches, friends, co-workers and grandparents.

100 percent

As with funds raised from other Rotary programs, all proceeds from Flags for Heroes help to support causes in the local community – such as Jacob’s Chance, a nonprofit that received a $500 check at a recent meeting.

And Rotarians like to put the emphasis on that word “all.”

Following the Jacob’s Chance donation, Sandston club member Kenny Evans observed that while other charitable groups might spend 95 percent of their income to benefit causes, “We give 100 percent. None of [the funds raised] go to Rotary International; all go directly to the community.”

As one of the club’s newer fundraisers, Flags for Heroes is not the most profitable. That title goes to the popular annual golf tournament.

But the flag program is easily the most visible.

Pendleton and Lambrechts recall that at past flag “plantings,” volunteers barely got the first two or three flags in place – out of the dozens that would fly – before passing cars started sounding their horns and drivers begin slowing to wave, or even getting out of their cars to chat.

It’s a sharp contrast to so many of the club’s charitable projects – and their impact on the community – which often seem to fly under the radar.

Rotarians are quick to say that they are not in it for the acclaim or the publicity, and that they are okay with doing their good works in anonymity.

After all, as Evans points out, the Rotary Club motto is “Service Above Self.”

Nevertheless, members can’t help but enjoy the public’s response to their flag project.

“It would be a good feeling to do it – even if it didn’t get notice,” Evans says of Flags for Heroes. “But the community appreciation just adds to it.

“When they honk,” Evans adds with an expression of reverence, “it gives you chills.”

For details about sponsoring a flag, contact Tracy Pendleton of SRC at (804) 366-5689. Flags are scheduled to be raised May 20 (weather permitting) and remain in place for two weeks. For details about club programs and membership, visit www.sandstonrotary.org.

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