Money leftover from a drive to place Braille flags in Emporia has been supplemented by veterans to provide a Kansas flag for the stage of the Granada Theatre, 807 Commercial St.
The state flag will balance the U.S. flag donated earlier this month by Pat Linn. The flag was used in the funeral service for Linn’s brother-in-law, Benjamin Arthur Linn Sr., who died Sept. 30, 2007. The flag from Linn, who was the brother of the late Ray Linn, has been used in flag etiquette presentations to 890 children in Emporia and the surrounding area, said Cleat Buckbee, one of the organizers.
Those who contributed to the balance of the cost of the Kansas flag in addition to Buckbee were American Legion Post 5, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1980 and Jesse Solis, who organized the drive for the Braille flags.
The veterans plan to dedicate the flag in a ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, before the last in a series of Lincoln Symposiums presented by Emporia State University.
Lt. Col. (ret.) Lee Hoskins will give the prayer, and Buckbee and Solis will speak briefly. Others in the audience who want to speak may do so, Solis said. The ceremony is open to the public.
“These two flags will be on the stage,” Solis said. “There’ll be the American flag on one side and the Kansas flag on the other, just to kind of make sure that we’re covered all the way around.”
After the ceremony on Wednesday, the veterans plan to work on drawing more attention to Emporia’s close ties to Veterans Day.
“I always want to mention the founding city of Veterans Day,” Solis said, adding that he hopes to get support for signs from the city, county or state to acknowledge Emporia as the originator of the day to honor men and women who served in the military.
“That’s my next project,” he said.