Photo courtesy of Bill Price
By Matt de Simone
Bill and Cindy Price, co-founders of local nonprofit organization Sirens & Salutes, recently donated a new American flag drop box to the Town of Buchanan. The announcement was made by Bill during the March meeting of Buchanan Town Council. The flag box was mounted outside of Town Hall over the weekend.
“We all have American flags,” Price said. “They get old, tattered, worn out– what to do with them?”
Price shared that the Botetourt Funeral Home will take flags and place them in veterans’ caskets or with veterans who are cremated. He added that he has been collecting old flags and that locals will leave the flags in various locations around town for Sirens & Salutes to pick up, which is becoming a job for Price to collect.
He also noted that he sees old flags around Buchanan and the owners don’t know what to do with them once the flag has become worn.
“I ask those people (who say) ‘Well, I don’t know what to with it,’” Price continued. “I saw that as a problem and I wanted to solve it.”
Price and his son, Keegan, brought in a newly constructed old American flag drop box by students at the Botetourt Technical Education Center (BTEC). The box operates like a mailbox with an entry point to insert old flags and a door for Price to take the flags out. Price asked council to place the box outside of Town Hall.
Price said that he would like to have a drop box placed in Daleville as well and that Mission BBQ in Roanoke has also expressed interest in having one. Price asked for anyone who donates a flag to fold it properly, although that isn’t necessary, but would make the retrieval easier on his end.
Anyone wishing a replacement flag can drop a card in the box with their contact info on it and Price will get a flag to anyone requesting one (veterans and first responders get flag at no charge).
“I don’t want to make it a burden to anybody in the town, I know you’ve got enough to do,” Price said to council. “I will come once a month to empty (the drop box) out. If there’s anybody that needs them, we’ll provide them to veterans or first responders for free. Anybody else who wants one, it’ll just be what (the charity) pays for the flag is what we would charge.”
To learn more about Sirens & Salutes, visit sirensandsalutes.org.
