Sun 1 October 2:00PM - 5:00PM
Patriots Park, 100 N. Island Ave, Batavia IL
Please join all of Batavia and Fox Valley residents in dedicating the completed Flag Day Monument
Activities will include:
-Dedication of the Monument to:
Dr. Bernard Cigrand (accepted by descendants)
IL Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients (accepted by Allen James Lynch, Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient—Army, Viet Nam)
Active military (accepted by all active military members present)
Veterans (accepted by all Veterans present)
First responders (accepted by all police, fire and medical first responders present)
-Ribbon cutting and tours of the Flag Day Monument
-Performances by the Batavia Community Band and K-12 Batavia Schools
-Birthday celebration for Dr. Cigrand
-Opportunities to send messages to future Batavians which will then be included in the 50- and 100-year time capsules built into the wall of the monument
-Unveiling of the walkway personalized bricks purchased by citizens over the past seven years
All of these activities are free to the public. Food trucks will be on site. The Fox Valley Patriotic Organization, the Batavia Flag Day Committee, and the City of Batavia welcome you and your families to join us for an unforgettable afternoon of sharing patriotic spirit and making memories to last a lifetime!
FOR RELEASE SEPT. 14, 2023
Contact: Linda Schielke, Flag Day Committee Chair
Lschielke@hotmail.com
FLAG DAY MONUMENT GRAND OPENING OCT. 1
BATAVIA, Il (Sept. 14, 2023) – Batavia Mayor Jeffery Schielke along with
The City of Batavia and the Fox Valley Patriotic Organization will officially dedicate and grand open the Flag Day Monument, 2-5 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 1 at Patriot’s Park, 100 N. Island Ave., Batavia.
The $1.5 million monument is a tribute to Dr. Bernard J. Cigrand, a Batavia dentist who was instrumental in creating a national Flag Day.
The formal program begins at 2 p.m. at the Peg Bond Center bandshell with remarks from Fox Valley Patriotic Organization Board members and Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Sgt. Allen Lynch. Following remarks, veterans and current military members, first responders, members of the Cigrand family, and others will encircle the monument with a ribbon, which when cut will officially open the monument to the public. The flag will then be raised on the 50-foot flagpole which was donated by Batavia company, FlagSource.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, “The Star-Spangled Banner” will be played and the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 95 from Morris, IL, will fly over the monument in tribute.
The festivities continue throughout the afternoon with a birthday celebration to honor Dr. Cigrand’s 157th birthday, and performances by the Batavia Community Band, Batavia High School a cappella ensemble Chromatics, and the Batavia High School/Rotolo Middle School combined band ensemble. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
Food trucks will also be available throughout the afternoon. Guided tours of the monument will be held as well. Visitors also will have the opportunity to create messages to which will be encased in time capsules in the monument’s wall.
“The City of Batavia is very fortunate to have this world-class monument celebrating one of Batavia’s finest citizens and Flag Day. The Flag Day Committee spent countless hours putting together an event worthy of this momentous occasion,” said Batavia Mayor Jeffery Schielke. “I hope to see many folks from all over the Fox Valley in attendance, enjoying this beautiful addition to Batavia’s riverfront.”
The Flag Day Monument design features a 40-foot diameter helix monument with a 10-foot-wide walkway around the perimeter. The flagpole will display a 10-by-18-foot flag. Elements of the monument commemorate iconic flag events, the U.S. population growth, the official flags flown by the U.S., armed conflicts, and a Ring of Honor with the names of those who have received the Congressional Medal of Honor from Illinois. The flagpole serves as a sundial and will highlight historic events.
Additionally, the monument features signature bricks purchased by families, businesses, and organizations.
“Right now, more than ever, we need a symbol of unity. While the problems of today and tomorrow may be vastly different than what previous generations have faced, the opportunity to unify under our flag remains the same,” said Austin Dempsey, President Fox Valley Patriotic Organization, the organization that raised funds for and built the Flag Day Monument.
The Flag Day Monument will be a work in progress, with space to include more milestones and commemorative bricks along the walkway.
“We have the story of our nation’s history up to this point in time. However, this monument belongs to our neighbors and our children. They will write the next chapters,” said Flag Day Monument architect Steve Vasilion.
Visit flagdaymonument.com for details about the Flag Day Monument, the Oct. 1 event.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Members of the media are invited to tour the monument prior to the grand opening. Please contact Linda Schielke to arrange a tour prior to Thursday, Sept. 28, at Lschielke@hotmail.com.
Batavia is located 35 miles west of Chicago along the banks of the Fox River. Settled in the 1830s, Batavia earned the nickname ‘The Windmill City’ when it was the windmill manufacturing capital of the world at the turn of the 20th Century. Batavia is home to more than 1,200 businesses, including Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory, the U.S. Headquarters of Aldi Inc, and Suncast Corporation. Batavia’s historic charm, excellent school system, and unparalleled recreational and shopping amenities make it a great place to live, work and play for its over 26,000 residents.
