Chilly rain does little to dampen spirit of ceremony

The chilly morning rain did little to dampen the spirit of those that attended the Patriot Flag ceremony Jan. 17 in front of the Publix of South Walton in Santa Rosa Beach.

Hosted by Ann Haigh, Blue Star Mother, the ceremony included members of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and several fire districts. The South Walton Fire District (SWFD) hoisted the 60 by 30 foot American “Patriot” flag. This was the flag’s first stop in Florida.

Highlights of the ceremony included musical performances from Helen Redd, Sgt. Artie Rodriguez, Herb Haigh, and a rendition of Amazing Grace on bagpipes.

The year long Patriot Flag program was established by a group of firefighters in California. The goal of the program is to have this flag fly in all 50 states in 50 weeks. It began on September 10, 2010 and the flag will end its tour on September 11, 2011 at the site of the World Trade Center.

To learn more about the Patriot Flag, go to: http://www.publicsafety.net/thepatriotflag.htm