Field of Flags rises at Lowe’s YMCA to kick off Independence Day festivities in Mooresville (Photo Gallery)

BY DEBBIE PAGE

A light drizzle did not dampen the high spirits of about 100 Mooresville-Lake Norman Exchange Club members and community volunteers who mounted 500 flags on rebar and quickly constructed the Field of Flags on the grounds of the Lowe’s YMCA’s facility.

The flags will be on display 24 hours per day from July 2-5.

The Field of Flags ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 3, followed by a Town of Mooresville concert series performance by Blue Monday, a tribute band to the MTV Generation (‘80s and ‘90s) at 7 p.m. The Fireworks Spectacular, presented by Randy Marion Automotive, will begin around 9:15 p.m.

This annual tradition is a celebration of freedom, community, and gratitude. Community members are encouraged to bring their families, lawn chairs, blankets, and patriotic spirit.

The Lowe’s YMCA’s is located at 170 Joe V. Knox Avenue in Mooresville.

Each flag represents sacrifice, service, and the strength of the Mooresville-Lake Norman community as attendees unite to remember, reflect, and celebrate.

Mooresville-Lake Norman Exchange Club President Marlo Mikeal welcomed and thanked club members and volunteers to the annual flag installation. She is an Air Force veteran and Gold Star wife who lost her National Guard husband, also an Air Force vet, in a C130 crash 13 years ago while he was fighting fires in South Dakota.

She said the event spoke to her patriotic side and her need to serve, as well as a way to commemorate her husband’s life and military service. She also wants to show others “how great our country still is.”

Citing the people from all walks of life, cultures, and backgrounds raising flags on the grounds, Mikeal said, “We come out here and show the next generations” the power and unity of America.

“We need more of this in our country =- when we are celebrating our heritage, our freedoms, and what being an American really is.”

Club member Ellen Patterson placed the first flag in honor of Bobby Compton, the former Mooresville fire marshal and town commissioner who passed away in June. The flag will be given to Compton’s family after the event.

Youths also placed 27 Honor Flags representing each county in Western North Carolina heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene. The club rallied to help people in Western NC by collecting supplies and transporting them to devastated areas. The flags will be sent to the affected counties after the event.

“It made me very proud to live in a community that’s willing to put that kind of time and effort above and beyond going on in their own lives,” said Mikeal. “They set work aside, their family issues aside, to go take care of our neighbors.”

Volunteers fanned out to place the American flags and also the flags of all military branches, POWs, and first responders, placing all the flags within 10 minutes.

The community event started in 2005, when the Exchange Club of Mooresville-Lake Norman placed 450 flags on the football field of Mooresville High School and has evolved and expanded ever since.

Each year since 2021, the club has placed between 500 to 800 American-made flags on the field of the Lowe’s YMCA.

EVENT DETAILS

For everyone’s safety, the layout for Thursday’s event has been slightly adjusted this year.

Fireworks will launch from the lower front field. The fallout zone will be roped off and fenced for safety. The stage will be located in front of the Lowe’s YMCA building, with plenty of space left for seating. The flag display is set up on the lower field as in past years.

The YMCA parking lot will close at noon on Thursday to prepare for the event, and Plantation Ridge Parkway and Joe Knox Avenue around the Y will close at 3:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to scout for parking and a place to catch the best views.

Food trucks will be available in the main parking lot for easier access to attendees.

For everyone’s safety, grills, pets, sparklers, and outside fireworks are not permitted.

PURCHASE FLAGS ONLINE OR ONSITE

Field of Flags is the largest annual fundraiser for the Mooresville-Lake Norman Exchange Club. Funds raised from the sell of flags in honor of veterans, military in active services, and first responders help fund the many projects the club undertakes in the Lake Norman community.

Flags can be purchased online at https://www.mooresvillelknexchange.org/fieldofflags or at the event site July 2-3. Kits are $35 and include the flag, pole, and rebar.

Purchased flags will be available for pick up beginning July 5 at 9 a.m. at the Mooresville-Lake Norman Exchange Club trailer located on Joe Knox Avenue.

Pick up times are:

♦ Saturday, July 5, from 9-11 a.m.
♦ Monday, July 7, from 9-11 a.m.
♦ Wednesday, July 9, from 5-7 p.m.
♦ Thursday, July 10, from 5-7 p.m.
♦ Saturday, July 12, from 9-11 a.m.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

To volunteer to help with the field dismantling on July 5, sign up here at www.signupgenius.com/go/4090A4DA4A82CA2FD0-56841860-field.