BY DEBBIE PAGE
Iredell County Library Director and Iredell America 250 Committee Chair Juli Moore recently visited Woodland Heights Elementary School to announce the winners of the America 250 NC County Flag Challenge.
Woodland Heights Elementary Media Center Coordinator Robin Blaney led the initiative at the school and worked with fourth-grade teachers and students to spark interest in the project.
As they designed their Iredell County flags, contestants were asked to think about what made the county special and why they loved living here. They were encouraged to use color symbolism, scenes, people, animals, food, symbols, and locations in their submission.
Fourth-grader Norah Burnett was chosen as the winner, with classmate Taryn Andreotta recognized as runner-up.
In her accompanying explanation of her flag design, Burnette said that she chose four things that make Iredell County special to her.
She drew Lake Norman because she enjoys boating activities there. She used an arrowhead because Native Americans have been part of Iredell County’s history since 10,000 B.C. Her father also has Native American heritage. Burnett also depicted an azalea flower because they are popular shrubs in the county. She additionally included the Iredell County seal in her flag design to honor her grandmother, who worked for the county.
Andreotta used the color orange on her flag because it represents joy and the color green because it represents nature and freshness. The light blue stands for calmness and openness, while teal creates a soothing and healing feeling
She drew a race car on her flag because Iredell County is home to many racing teams, and she selected the number 10 for the car because Iredell is in the 10th Congressional District.
The statewide County Flag Challenge, an America 250 NC initiative, was open to all fourth-graders. The students were invited to create an original county flag design and submit their artwork by January 31.
The Iredell America 250 NC committee reviewed all submissions in February and selected the two students’ flags for recognition on the America 250 NC website in March.
LEARN MORE
To learn about the many America 250 commemorations scheduled in Iredell County to celebrate the country’s Semiquincentennial, visit the events calendar at https://tinyurl.com/IredellAmerica250Calendar.
ABOUT AMERICA 250
In 2026, America is celebrating its 250th birthday. To commemorate the milestone, the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission was established by the United States Congress on July 22, 2016, to plan and orchestrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
The nonprofit supporting organization to the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission is america250.org., which works collaboratively with the Commission to create public-private partnerships to encourage celebratory events at the state, county, and city level.
The Iredell County America 250 NC Committee consists of over two dozen members from various local organizations throughout the county and is led by Moore. The committee serves as a local hub and organizer for America 250 Iredell events, activities, and contests.