9-11 Fence of Art Flags to benefit SW Fire District

[mermaid arts]

MA - it is a beautiful tribute to our firefighters and all firefighters who serve and protect. it fulfills a community need while also honoring the national day of service & remembrance of 9/11. thank you so much.

You are SO very welcome!

with love and peace,
wendy

 

[Mango]

We are just trying to do a little good... spread a little love and appreciation.

9-11 is not the 'theme' but instead a day that we, the artists of Artists at Gulf Place and lots of creative locals, have chosen to say thank you to the Firefighters of the SW Fire District and to let them know that we will forever remember and honor the 346 firefighters that lost their lives on September 11.

Those 346 firefighters dedicated their lives to the service of others and I believe it to be a great tribute to those men and women that the SW Fire District would use the money we raise on September 11 to purchase smoke detectors and donate them to the hearing impaired.

Those that are given smoke detectors may not be "victim's families" ... but on September 11, 2001, we were all family.

I appreciate your response and what the firefighters are trying to accomplish and their tribute to the 346 firefighters from New York and the tri-state area who perished, but there are still many first responders and workers who were involved in the clean-up, sometimes in very unhealthy conditions breathing dust and smoke all day long. Many of these people are unable to work and not being compensated. They are losing their homes, unable to provide for their families, and losing their health benefits in the worst of economic times. Here is recent testimony before the House documenting such. http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/pdf/Melius090331.pdf

Living in New York and having had an Uncle nearly recently die from pneumonia because of damage to his lungs has made me much more aware of these families. Fortunately, he was ready to retire 9/11, but stayed a year longer for clean up efforts and is receiving his pension now. But, others have not been so lucky, which is why I was surprised to see firefighters raising funds for something other than than their brothers. Perhaps they are unaware due to the distance of what is happening to their brethren.
http://www.beyondgroundzero.org/

I would have been more amiable to seeing a Fire Safety fundraiser at a different time with sales of other items, coloring books, badges for children, something along those lines, to raise funds for smokeless fire detectors. I would be happy to help from afar or when in town in coordinating such if the SWFD changes their minds and reroutes their donations. If not, I hope any extra funds does and at the very least, I have made people aware of what is going on who may wish to donate clothing, food or monies to these people on 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance. It's easy to lose sight of such things when living in Paradise.

 

[Teresa]

This is the Second Annual Fence of Art Flags, a small, yet very significant way for the community of SoWal to come together and pay tribute to 9/11. Article from last year's event (The Walton Sun)...

Artists at Gulf Place remember 9/11

Debbie Wheeler
2008-09-15 10:44:37

Seven years after the date that will forever be known simply as 9/11, remembrance of the day still causes a lump in the throats of many.

Such is the effect the date has on local artist Wendy Prentice. "It's hard not to think about 9/11 and not get a lump in your throat. It doesn't matter who or what we are - we're all Americans, and remembering the tragedy evokes emotion and causes people to want to do something," she said.

Prentice decided that helping the local firefighters would be a good way to start in satisfying her desire to "do something."With little more than a week to prepare, Prentice rallied the other Artists at Gulf Place (of which she is a part) into action in creating artistic American flags. She also sent out a mass e-mail, asking the community to join the effort.The artwork that emerged was unveiled Thursday at the Artists at Gulf Place enclave as a Fence of Flags.

American flags painted by local artists and children, as well as some from outside the area, were on cookie sheets, shovel heads, boards, old car tags, and a variety of other objects, including a solid wood door, and hung around the artists' deck. On some of the flags, artists had written the Pledge of Allegiance on the white stripes.
Billie Gaffrey's two art classes at Seaside Neighborhood School contributed to the effort.

All proceeds from the sales will go to the South Walton Fire District."I felt that helping the local firefighters is a good way to start in doing something," said Prentice. "It brought everyone together and honored our firefighters."SWFD will use the donations from the purchased artwork to buy smoke detectors, which they will give to people in the area who need them.

"I was touched when I received the call from Wendy Prentice with the gracious offer of donating the proceeds from their Fence of Flags," said Sean Hughes, SWFD deputy chief, in a press release. "This event coincides with the anniversary of 9/11 which is a very emotional date for the entire country and especially poignant for firefighters, as we lost 343 fellow firefighters that day. For the Artists at Gulf Place to recognize this and support the SWFD is a grand gesture and we want to do something special in return with the donations we receive."

All members of the Artists at Gulf Place will be present at the exhibit all weekend. Hopes are that the flags will sell out this weekend.

I think the residents of SoWal are deeply affected by 9/11, the same as all communities across the country. The gesture of donating smoke detectors is a worthy cause and a beautiful tribute given by all the locals who participate in this local effort.

?All of us at ServiceNation are honored to pay tribute to those who sacrificed so much on 9/11 by partnering with MyGoodDeed on this historic event, raising awareness of this new National Day of Service, and working to create meaningful opportunities for Americans to remember the fallen by volunteering their time and skills,? said AnnMaura Connolly, a ServiceNation convener and chief external affairs officer at City Year. ?Through service, we can bring people together, provide hope and help to those in need, and build stronger communities and, ultimately, a stronger nation.?

Leading 9/11 Organizations, National Service Leaders to Stage Major Commemorative Event in Recognition of First-Ever Federally-Designated ?9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance?

There are literally thousands of ways that our community and other communities across the country are paying tribute this year... check it out:
911 Day of Service.

 

[Mango]

Prentice decided that helping the local firefighters would be a good way to start in satisfying her desire to "do something."With little more than a week to prepare, Prentice rallied the other Artists at Gulf Place (of which she is a part) into action in creating artistic American flags. She also sent out a mass e-mail, asking the community to join the effort.The artwork that emerged was unveiled Thursday at the Artists at Gulf Place enclave as a Fence of Flags.

My hat is off to you Wendy for pulling off such a feat in a week. You're one of the people who make the Sowal community so special. You obviously have no control on how the charity funds raised are spent and this was not a collaborative effort with the fire department. I was just taken aback a bit, as here IN NY, donations are usually given to the victims. But, if a fire alarm saves even one life, I am sure many victims and their families would happy to know that their affected loves ones lives were not for naught and something good comes of it.

and Toots, I had reservations about the 9/11 Day of Service initially. Do we really need a Day such as 9/11 to get people volunteering? But, the more I thought about, instead of grieving all day, if it helps people come out of the day with a sense of accomplishment and makes our Country a better place, even for the day, it's all good.

 

[scooterbug44]

I am quite offended that people spent a great deal of time and effort finding a way to remember 9-11, help the local fire department, and do something positive for the community ............... and are getting criticized for it.

This is an event whose only goals are to show appreciation/thanks for the fire department, remember a major day in our history, and help save lives in the community.

Noone is making a profit off the event - people donated their time, bought the materials and paints, fed the painters, and spent many hours working on this.

Just because we are in "Paradise" doesn't mean we are unaware of what is going on or were unaffected by 9-11. This is just how we chose to commemorate the day.

 

[Teresa]

I am quite offended that people spent a great deal of time and effort finding a way to remember 9-11, help the local fire department, and do something positive for the community ............... and are getting criticized for it.

This is an event whose only goals are to show appreciation/thanks for the fire department, remember a major day in our history, and help save lives in the community.

Noone is making a profit off the event - people donated their time, bought the materials and paints, fed the painters, and spent many hours working on this.

Just because we are in "Paradise" doesn't mean we are unaware of what is going on or were unaffected by 9-11. This is just how we chose to commemorate the day.

I'm not offended - I know Mangy has her reasons for feeling so strongly. I think it will take time for people across the country to find what Day of Service & Remembrance stands for, to embrace the concept, and act. I think it stands for giving tribute to 9/11 by making stronger communities through acts of service. People across the country and world were united right after 9/11. The wonderful people who have made Sept 11 Day of Service & Remembrance possible, have made a great effort to continue to bring people together to build stronger, more caring, more involved communities. I'm amazed and inspired at what people are doing right now to commemorate 9/11.

and yes, folks in SoWal do remember. Many of us have friends/family who live(d) there and all of us were very much affected by the attacks. we'll always remember.

 

[Teresa]

They will not go on display until Friday morning. However, if they are not all sold on Friday, we will continue to show them until the last flag has a new home!

a few from christi's pix...

 

[Mango]

I am quite offended that people spent a great deal of time and effort finding a way to remember 9-11, help the local fire department, and do something positive for the community ............... and are getting criticized for it.

This is an event whose only goals are to show appreciation/thanks for the fire department, remember a major day in our history, and help save lives in the community.

Noone is making a profit off the event - people donated their time, bought the materials and paints, fed the painters, and spent many hours working on this.

Just because we are in "Paradise" doesn't mean we are unaware of what is going on or were unaffected by 9-11. This is just how we chose to commemorate the day.

Who said anyone was making a profit? I certainly didn't. I also do not take issue with anything anyone is doing with the exception of who benefits from the fundraising. I assume you didn't bother reading my post above yours.
It's my opinion that only those directly affected and our military personnel, who are out there protecting us from further terrorist attacks, are the ONLY people who should benefit. We don't have a National Volunteer Day on Veterans Day, where many more people were lost, than fund raise and give the money to homeless people, for example. I wonder how the Veteran's would feel about that? Maybe they would appreciate it, but I am guessing most wouldn't and prefer the day be set aside for quiet introspection and respect.
You are a smart, young, empathetic and sympathetic woman, but until you have been directly affected, you will not understand my rationale.

 

[scooterbug44]

I was directly affected - that is why I am so upset at being told what is and is not a proper way to act or direct my volunteer efforts.

And among many other activities, people do raise money for the homeless on Veteran's Day - because many homeless are veterans.

All I am saying is that there isn't just one right way or one emotion or one group affected and we all remember and honor things in different ways.

 

[mermaid arts]

a few from christi's pix...

oh my gosh, these are fabulous!!!
Thank you so much!!!