For all of us in the United States, September 11 is a day forever seared in our collective memory. It’s an emotional day, a reminder to cherish and protect the freedoms which make America so special. With that in mind, Comcast team members gathered on the anniversary to honor our nation’s most revered symbol – the American flag.
More than 250 employees at 16 locations across the state volunteered for a special project. They spent the morning of September 11 creating grommet keepsakes as part of Operation Old Glory. The unique initiative started by military veteran employees replaces worn or damaged flags outside homes and businesses at no cost to the property owners – whether they’re Comcast customers or not.
Brian Kelly, a Comcast tech supervisor, often participates in flag replacements for the company’s Florida Region. He said he’s helped to retire 30 flags to date. Kelly came up with the idea to create grommet keepsakes from the retired flags, since the grommets remain after the worn flags are destroyed. Kelly said participating in the volunteer event on September 11 was a touching way to mark the anniversary.
“I understood the impact this small gesture can have on members of the community when I witnessed the emotional response from them,” said Kelly. “The keepsakes that we hand out are conversation-starters and people love this program.”
On September 13, Comcast volunteers partnered with VFW Post 9610 in Lake Park, Florida to host a flag retirement ceremony. The flags, collected as part of Operation Old Glory in Florida, were retired as outlined in the U.S. Flag Code.
John Wholihan is a former New York City firefighter. He was one of the first responders who arrived to Ground Zero, following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Wholihan and his family now live in Southwest Florida. His wife, Donna Wholihan, recently welcomed Comcast employees Danny Aguila, Brian Kelly and Jorge Medina to their Naples home. The trio stopped by to ask if they would like their worn flag retired. The Wholihans enthusiastically agreed to the flag replacement.
Aguila also lived in New York on September 11, 2001 and the tragedy of the day inspired the then 18-year-old to enlist in the Navy. As a token of her appreciation for his service, Donna Wholihan gave Aguila a small piece of debris from the Twin Towers.
“We are so grateful for the new flag we received and for the amazing Comcast representatives who care enough to do this with so much respect,” said Wholihan. “We were honored that one of our nation’s veterans was part of this. Our flag means so much to us, as does this great country.”
Comcast’s commitment to the military community is deeply rooted in the company’s DNA. Learn more about Comcast’s ongoing commitment here.
