Hometown Heroes Banners
Dateline: July 18, 2023
Concord for Hometown Heroes Banners LLC is a patriotic, not-for-profit, New Hampshire organization that offers a way for families and friends to pay tribute to and honor their loved ones who have served in our nation's military. Working in collaboration with the Allenstown Economic Development Committee, the organization honors local veterans with distinctive pole banners that they install on utility poles in local communities.
For example, the banner to the right, installed in October 2021, honors Captain George Gordon, the oldest Allenstown veteran we know of, who fought and died in the Civil War.
Eligibility
As for eligibility, the honored veteran must have served in the United States Armed Forces, may be a living or deceased resident of the town, or a relative or friend of a resident of the town. This will allow for the broadest number of local veterans to be honored.
A Pledge to Banner Sponsors
The organization takes pride in the photographic quality of the banners, and does its absolute best to restore your veteran's photo to the best quality possible. They pledge to do their best to give you a product that you will be proud to share with your community.
Banner Details
The banners are digitally printed on 8 ft. x 2 ft vinyl fabric using UV stable inks, then folded and double stitched into a double-sided 4 ft. x 2 ft. finished size with fabric loops stitched at top and bottom for hanging on special pole brackets.
The banner can also contain images of Meritorious Awards, like the Purple Heart or Bronze Star, that were bestowed upon the service member. Gold Star pins can be included if the ultimate sacrifice was made for a grateful nation.
Fee for Sponsors
Starting in 2023 due to increased costs of materials and processing, the fee to sponsor a banner is $225.00 for a single photo banner (same veteran on both sides). This includes::
- The banner's design and manufacture.
- A three-year warranty against failure or damage.
- Three years of Spring installation, Fall de-installation, cleaning, and winter storage.
For a fee of $295.00, you can sponsor a banner for two veterans, one on each side of the banner. The same benefits are included.
Due to rising costs, a $25 yearly install/uninstall fee will be charged at the start of the 4th year of display. Note that restrictions set by Eversource limit banner display from May through November.
Display Details
After the EDC receives permission from the local electric utility to use its poles, the banners are installed on or before Memorial Day and remain on display until after Veteran's Day, a span of a little more than six months. Winter weather is not really suitable for the banners so they are stored until the following Spring.
Banners are being installed along School St. This is an appropriate choice since this is the main entrance into the center of town. Once School St. is completed, we plan to expand to Main St. It is hoped that these become Allenstown's Avenues of Hometown Heroes.
What You Can Do
As a symbol of love and respect for your favorite veteran, consider sponsoring a Hometown Hero Banner. Instead of a name in small print on a plaque or stone monument on the side of a local street, you can create a large banner with a color photo of your veteran, details about branch of service, era of service, and your name as the sponsor, for all the world to see and maybe salute as they go by.
You must first contact the EDC to inform them of your interest in the program. A representative will send you the information to get started.
► EDC e-mail
You can also download the following documents to get started.
The EDC will help you get in touch with the Hometown Heroes organization, and be your liaison to make sure you are satisfied with the finished banner and that its installation is done in a timely manner.
This story was previously published on allenstown-alt-org
by Michael Frascinella