For the First Time in More Than 30 Years, a Flag Will Be Placed at Every Fort Snelling National Cemetery Headstone
MINNEAPOLIS, May 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KARE 11, the NBC affiliate in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, announces the completion of a fundraising and volunteer drive to place American flags at every headstone in the Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
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KARE 11, Flags for Fort Snelling, Mall of American and RBCU kicked off a campaign on April 2nd with the mission to place a flag at every headstone at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. To achieve this, Flags for Fort Snelling needed to raise $225,000 and secure more than 7,000 volunteers for the week of Memorial Day.
On Tuesday, May 15th, KARE 11 announced the culmination of this goal. “There will now be a Flag on every headstone in Fort Snelling this year, and for years to come,” said KARE 11 General Manager John Remes. “KARE 11 viewers came together in a big way and we are so proud to be part of this historic event.”
In addition to fundraising from local VFWs and American Legions, the majority of donations came directly from individual donors.
"What made this donation event special was how it gave the community a platform to participate and Minnesota couldn't wait to step up! The vast majority from this fundraising day came from thousands of modest donations, that added up,” said Rocky Borchardt, cofounder of Flags for Fort Snelling. “I think this demonstrates the local community’s commitment to supporting Veterans and honoring their sacrifice.”
Donations will still be accepted through May 25 and will go directly to the nonprofit, Flags for Fort Snelling, to purchase flags, replace damaged flags, event costs including shuttle costs and online fees. Positions for the more than 7,000 volunteer positions were also filled during the donation drive and will place flags on Saturday, May 26.
Mall of America, together with Flags for Fort Snelling, will provide parking, training and shuttle services to Fort Snelling on Saturday morning. Additionally, Mall of America will host many Memorial Day Weekend celebrations with both public and private events.
“The overarching mission of this campaign was to honor Veterans buried at Fort Snelling, and to remind the greater community of the true purpose of Memorial Day,” said Sara Durhman, Sr Manager Community Relations at Mall of America. “Mall of America will be home to a variety of events honoring Veterans throughout the weekend. It will be a destination for families and veterans alike.”
For more details on the weekend events. Go to Mall of America’s event page: https://mallofamerica.com/events/view/13651 or go to the Flags for Fort Snelling event page at https://www.flagsforfortsnelling.com
Flags for Fort Snelling is a nonprofit organization run 100% by volunteers and is largely supported by Vantage Point Marketing LLC in Anoka, MN.
KARE 11 will have live coverage of this historic flag placement on Saturday, May 26 starting at 8am.
KARE 11 is the Minneapolis/St. Paul, TEGNA-owned, NBC affiliate.
TEGNA Inc. (NYSE:TGNA) is an innovative media company that serves the greater good of our communities. With 47 television stations and two radio stations in 39 markets, TEGNA delivers relevant content and information to consumers across platforms. It is the largest owner of top 4 affiliates in the top 25 markets, reaching approximately one-third of all television households nationwide. Each month, TEGNA reaches 50 million adults on-air and approximately 35 million across its digital platforms. TEGNA has been consistently honored with the industry’s top awards, including Edward R. Murrow, George Polk, Alfred I. DuPont and Emmy Awards. TEGNA delivers results for advertisers through unparalleled and innovative solutions including OTT local advertising network Premion, centralized marketing resource Hatch, and G/O Digital, a one-stop shop for local businesses to connect with consumers through digital marketing. Across platforms, TEGNA tells empowering stories, conducts impactful investigations and delivers innovative marketing solutions. For more information, visit www.TEGNA.com.
| Contacts: | Janeen Vogelaar |
| 763-797-7270 | |
| jvogelaar@kare11.com |
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ea18f46f-d58a-4ad3-83e4-ae30ace243e6
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