On Sept. 17, nine individuals from the SCI Laurel Highlands family participated in the flag flying ceremony at the Flight 93 Memorial. Four of those individuals were Laurel Highlands staff members, and five were children that the staff members brought with them. All of those who participated enjoyed their time together, doing something to give back to our community, and developing some camaraderie with each other in a situation outside of the institution.
Spending about an hour at the memorial, participants flew 35 flags that will be packaged with certificates of authenticity. Half of the flags are sold in the Memorial's gift shop and online. The other half are sent to the National Park Service and are used as a thank-you gift for those who support the National Parks with a gift of $93 or more. The flags sold at the memorial cost $40, and the proceeds go to support the preservation and development of the memorial, so that current and future generations can continue to pay respect to the brave men and women who sacrificed so much on that terrible day. For information on how to purchase a flown flag, please contact the Flight 93 Bookstore at (814) 893-6565. Better yet, take some time to visit the memorial and pick one up during your visit.
SCI Laurel Highlands' C.O.V.E.R. committee continues to promote and support these and other service opportunities at the Flight 93 National Memorial. Staff have been involved in the tree planting that is an annual event at the memorial, have and continue to regularly participate in the flag flying ceremonies, and are planning to participate in the annual Walk 93, which will take place this year on October 12. This is a 2½ mile walk through the memorial, and it raises funds that go directly to maintaining the memorial itself. Registration is $25 per person. You can register on the memorial website under "Volunteer Opportunities." SCI Laurel Highlands has a team registered, so you just need to select that from the drop-down box. If you are planning to participate, please notify Dana Benn, so that we know how many people are attending with us. Additional service projects are being discussed for the future. When participating in any of the service opportunities, staff are encouraged to involve their families. For some opportunities, age limits are enforced by the park service, such as the annual tree planting, which permits only those age 14 and over to participate. In the case of the flag flying opportunity, children of any age are welcome and encouraged to participate. The same is true of Walk 93. If you are interested in any of the volunteer opportunities in which we take part, please contact Treatment Specialist Dana Benn.