NEWS Walnut Valley Unified School District
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 880 S. Lemon Avenue
September 11, 2011 Walnut, CA 91789
Contact:
Kelli Gile, Office of Community Resources
(909) 595-1261 ext. 31204
Walnut High Students Remember 9/11
Nearly 3,000 flags displayed to honor victims of nation’s tragedy
WALNUT, CA--On Sunday, September 11, over 30 Walnut High School students volunteered to place 2,997 American flags on the grassy hill at the front of the school.
The 4”x 6” red, white, and blue symbols of patriotism made an impressive 50-yard long display spelling out USA, 911, and a star with a pentagon inside.
The project to commemorate all the lives lost a decade ago was the idea of the school’s Teen Republican Club, said teacher advisor Brett Landis.
The poignancy of the project is roughly the same number of students attend Walnut High as those that were killed in the three locations on September 11, 2001, Landis said.
“Our kids will be reminded on Monday when they come to school.”
Even though September 11 fell on a Sunday - a non-school day, the students were determined to make this happen, he said.
The club with about a dozen members realized they’d need help with the project.
The school leadership ASB (Associated Student Body) group purchased the small flags.
They were joined by Link Crew members for the remembrance project that began at 4 p.m..
Landis outlined the area with string for the letters and shapes before students began placing the flags.
The group finished the project in about 1½ hours.
“This means a lot to our student body,” Landis said. “This is a little way that kids are able to show their love of country and to honor those that died that day.”
“We didn’t do this for ourselves, but as Americans. If a country had emotions, I think it would be smiling right now,” said the club’s president, senior Aaron Walayat, to the group of volunteers.
“When you look at the flags, remember that each piece of fabric stapled to a wooden stick represents a life lost. May you never forget, he said.
The volunteers then said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Carrying out project was important Junior Eric Wang, the club’s secretary, because he was just six years old in 2001 and didn’t really understand the nation’s tragedy.
He does now.
“Each flag here represents a life. And each life had a family, and they are mourning today.”
The flags will be taken down at the end of the school day on Monday, September 12.
Shown:
Standing above 2,997 American flags, Walnut High School students from the Teen Republican Club and Link Crew, with advisors Brett Landis (Teen Republican Club) and Andy Schultz (ASB) display a flag bearing the names with every victim of the 9/11 tragedy.
Teen Republican Club officers Aaron Walayat and Eric Wang put the finishing touches on the 10th anniversary commemorative 9/11 display.
Walnut High volunteers finish placing American flags to honor the victims of 9/11.