Each Memorial Day weekend, the Westerville Sunrise Rotary Club hosts the Field of Heroes. This event is an opportunity to honor your personal heroes - whoever they are... a family member; a friend; a veteran; a member of the armed services; a favorite teacher; a police officer; a firefighter or any other person who has made in impact on your life.
The Field of Heroes offers a unique and moving way to honor your heroes by flying a flag with a custom tribute in a spectacular display of 3,000 American flags across from the Westerville Community Center. Standing 8 feet tall and measuring 3' x 5', the flags are situated in perfect rows to create an inspirational display that visually represents each individual hero joining together with others to form a community.
Themed programs run throughout the weekend, including opening and closing ceremonies, a flag retirement ceremony and a free Saturday evening concert. The 5K Run/Walk for Heroes is hosted at the Field of Heroes to provide an opportunity to honor heroes in a truly unique and inspiring setting.
Flags can be purchased for $30 each from the Field of Heroes web site, http://fieldofheroes.org or at the Field. Flags flown in the Field of Heroes can be picked up after the event or can be shipped for a small additional fee. Or, if you prefer, you can designate your flag to be donated at the conclusion of the Field of Heroes weekend to a charitable organization supporting active military, veterans, public safety personnel or their families. Flags can also be dedicated and flown in this year’s field, with the flag being returned to the Westerville Sunrise Rotary Club for use in next year’s Field of Heroes.
All are invited to visit the sixth annual Field of Heroes throughout the 2014 Memorial Day weekend to join the Central Ohio community in remembering and honoring our personal heroes.
Follow the Field of Heroes on Twitter @FieldOfHeroesOH and “friend” us on Facebook facebook.com/fieldofheroes. Videos from prior years’ Field of Heroes can be found at youtube.com/user/FieldOfHeroes/videos.
3. Established in 2009
• 1,500 flags in a rectangle
• Opening ceremony
Repeated annually due to popular demand
• 5,000 to 10,000 visitors per year
• Increased to 3,000 flags for 2013
Added programs, community activities and
complementary tributes since 2010
• Traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial
• Tenth anniversary of 9/11
• WWII Wall of Stars
• Korean War Memorial and Compound
4. Provide a unique and moving “signature”
community event
Respectfully honor all heroes: fallen, living
veterans and actively serving military, as well as
public servants and civilians
Become a desired annual tradition for our guests
Provide volunteers with an experience they will
never forget
Build and maintain a sustainable brand,
organization and event business model
5. Saturday, May 25
9:30 am Official Opening Ceremony
12:00 pm Reading of names on dedicated flags
7:00—8:00 pm Free Concert by the 122nd Army Band
Sunset Taps; field illuminated until dawn
Sunday, May 26
8:00 am Field of Heroes 5K Run/Walk for Heroes, presented by OhioHealth
11:00 am – 3:00 pm Free bus tours of Westerville memorials guided by Police Explorer Post 29
12:00 pm Reading of names on dedicated flags
8:00 pm Flag Retirement Ceremony led by Boy Scouts of America
Sunset Taps; field illuminated until dawn
Monday, May 27
12:00 pm Reading of names on dedicated flags
12:30 pm Official Closing Ceremony
1:00—4:00 pm Flag Pickup
6.
7.
8. New Addition to the
Field of Heroes
Run Sunday, 5/26
300+ participants
9. Flag Retirement Ceremony led by the
Mallsannuk Chapter,
Order of the Arrow,
Boy Scouts of America
Free bus tours of Westerville
memorials guided by Police
Explorer Post 29
Community Engagement
10. Korean War Tribute
• Celebrating the men and women
who served our country in the
Korean War so that it is the
"Forgotten War" no more.
• Presented by the Westerville
Committee of Honor Flight
Columbus.
Lima Company Memorial: The
Eyes of Freedom
• Displayed at Westerville City
Hall
Special Features
14. Order Types
Purchase
$30 ($35 if shipped)
Donate
$30 – to organization identified by
Westerville Sunrise Rotary
Dedicate
$15 – return to inventory for use next
year
Honorees
Veterans
Active Military
Mentor/Personal
Inspiration
Public Safety
Community Volunteer
• More than 680 flags purchased/donated/dedicated
• Purchasers in 13 states shipped flags to 74 zip codes in 16 states
15. Flags assembled 2 weeks prior to event
Around-the-clock activity at the field from 9
am Friday through 5 pm Monday
30+ club members on committee
More than 350 volunteer shifts, averaging
3 hours each, staffed by nearly 200
volunteers
19. 30 stories on central
Ohio newscasts, totaling
more than 25 minutes of
coverage.
Total Nielsen audience
averaged more than 1.3
million viewers.
Promoted on WCOL,
Sunny95, in local
newspapers, and
Columbus Dispatch
20. Field of Heroes is a self-sustaining activity
of the Westerville Sunrise Rotary
Foundation
• 46% from flag orders
• 23% from 5K Run/Walk
• 5% miscellaneous
• 26% from business patron donations
• Additionally, companies provide in-kind goods /
services
21. Hrabcak & Company
Attorneys Specializing in Veterans Benefits
Lextant
City Barbeque
Hardgrove Fire Protection
Edward Jones / Glenn Epting
No More Phone Tag
Immediate Health Associates
Metz, Bailey & McLoughlin
Ameriprise / Jason Buehner
Toukan & Company
Editor's Notes
Dave – history
Dave – the event moving forward
Provide a unique and moving “signature” community event…
Present a spectacular visual display
Provide a superior visitor experience
Respectfully honor all heroes: fallen, living veterans and actively serving military, as well as public servants and civilians…
Supplement the flag field and on-stage programming with themed displays and activities supporting the event mission/vision
Connect with military and public safety personnel and their families
Partnering with other groups, provide an appropriate and exciting complementary feature event in conjunction with the flag display
Become a desired annual tradition for our guests…
Provide inspirational entertainment / informational programming opportunities at the event
Supplement programming with selected activities presented by others in support of the event mission/vision
Partnering with other groups, provide an appropriate and exciting complementary feature event in conjunction with the flag display
Provide volunteers with an experience they will never forget…
Effectively utilize the skills of volunteers
Reward those who choose to spend their valuable time volunteering at the Field of Heroes
Build and maintain a sustainable brand, organization and event business model…
Establish the Field of Heroes as “the place to be during Memorial Day weekend”
Expand non-club sponsorships and ancillary earned income to create a sustainable financial structure
Achieve flag sales targets (850 [purchases + donations + dedications])
Expand the capacity, image and sustainability of the committee and event
Tom (Dave/Pat)
OPENING CEREMONY:
Item Person
Welcome Dave Wartel
Emcee Mindy Drayer
Posting of the Colors Westerville Police Color Guard
National Anthem Inner Vision
The Importance of Heroes Boys/Girls State
??? Don Denton
Music Damon Mollenkopf
Speaker Kathy Cocuzzi
The Importance of Heroes Boys/Girls State
Music Inner Vision
Key-note speaker Maj. Gen. Ashenhurst
Music Damon Mollenkopf
Closing Remarks Rick Rano
Music Inner Vision
Retiring of the Colors Westerville Police Color Guard
Dave to Transition to Tom (Dave/Pat as backup)
Jud
Community Engagement:
Thank you to Community Advisory Board for guidance, access to other community organizations
Features include
Police Explorers Post historic tours
Flag retirement ceremony
Honor Flight tribute to Korean War heroes
New addition: 5K Run / Walk
Community Engagement:
Thank you to Community Advisory Board for guidance, access to other community organizations
Features include
Police Explorers Post historic tours
Flag retirement ceremony
Honor Flight tribute to Korean War heroes
New addition: 5K Run / Walk
Dave to Transition to Pat
Pat – to illustrate the Order > Information > Field Greeters flow
This is the time to talk about Visitor Experience
Any ideas for images?
Pat – to illustrate the Order > Information > Field Greeters flow
This is the time to talk about Visitor Experience
Any ideas for images?
Pat - 2012 figures to illustrate scale
Kip – broad overview of needs and his plan for recruitment
DW transition to Julie
Dave – committee structure
Dave – brief note to talk about race registrations and as transition to Patrons
AFTER TALKING ABOUT PATRONS:
What we need from club members:
Support our patrons
Volunteer and refer groups / individuals
Participate in the 5K – walkers welcome
Promote the event (and race) on social media
Come out to the concert and bring a group to picnic
Julie – talk about marketing / what to expect coming soon
Dave – brief note to talk about race registrations and as transition to Patrons
AFTER TALKING ABOUT PATRONS:
What we need from club members:
Support our patrons
Volunteer and refer groups / individuals
Participate in the 5K – walkers welcome
Promote the event (and race) on social media
Come out to the concert and bring a group to picnic
Dave – giant Thank You
What we need from club members:
Support our patrons
Volunteer and refer groups / individuals
Participate in the 5K – walkers welcome
Promote the event (and race) on social media
Come out to the concert and bring a group to picnic