- May 20, 2024
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The crowd included at least 436 people. Photo by Paige Wilson
The American Flag Project founders, Larry and Nikki White, join the long line of flag wavers. Photo by Paige Wilson
Perry Gambrel counts participants as Palm Coast resident Agnes Lightfoot walks through. Photo by Paige Wilson
More than 430 people gather to wave the American flag. Photo by Paige Wilson
Nikki White and Commissioner Nate McLaughlin show their excitement on stage. Photo by Paige Wilson
A group of pirates show their patriotism. Photo by Paige Wilson
The crowd included at least 436 people. Photo by Paige Wilson
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland holds an American flag in the crowd. Photo by Paige Wilson
A helicopter flies over the airport runway as participants get in line to wave the American flag. Photo by Paige Wilson
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly waves his flag high, as he stands next to Flagler County Commissioners Charles Ericksen Jr., Gregory Hansen and David Sullivan. Photo by Paige Wilson
Flagler Palm Coast High School student Samantha Shumaker sings the National Anthem. Photo by Paige Wilson
More than 430 people line up to wave the American flag. Photo by Paige Wilson
Nikki White speaks to the crowd of more than 430 flag wavers. Photo by Paige Wilson
Nikki White welcomes her husband Larry White as Flagler County Commissioner Nate McLaughlin announces. Photo by Paige Wilson
Many veterans and locals gather before the official American Flag Project event. Photo by Paige Wilson
Florida House of Representatives District 25 representative Fred Costello, who serves Volusia County, is in the crowd. Photo by Paige Wilson
Andrew and Caroline Stoughton wave American flags. Photo by Paige Wilson
Sgt. Jean Terrine and Homer Winans talk in front of a U.S. Army vehicle. Photo by Paige Wilson
A MAG 36 plane flies over the airport at the Freedom Fest. Photo by Paige Wilson
Sgt. Irland shows Zoey Fulford how the U.S. Army uses the Avenger Missile System. Photo by Paige Wilson
Sunlight shines through the American flag. Photo by Paige Wilson
The Freedom Fest ended as the record-setting American Flag Project event began. Photo by Paige Wilson
A shockwave jet truck speeds down the runway as flames burst it forward. Photo by Paige Wilson
With 436 people holding hundreds of American flags, Flagler County has established a record for the largest number of people waving an American flag in one place.
The American Flag Project, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, was established in November 2014 by Palm Coast residents Nikki and Larry White, with the mission “to hand out one million flags a year in America,” Larry White said.
The couple brainstormed the idea for the record-establishing event about a year ago, and after a lot of planning and cooperation with the city and county, their vision came true on Sunday, Nov. 5, at the Flagler County Executive Airport.
“We wanted to find some way to have a massive showing of patriotism in Flagler County,” Larry White said.
Many officials attended the event, including: Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly; Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland; Flagler County Commissioners Charles Ericksen Jr., Gregory Hansen, David Sullivan and Nate McLaughlin; Flagler School Board member Maria Barbosa; and Fred Costello, who serves Ormond Beach in the Florida House of Representatives.
Nikki White said she would have liked to have seen a larger turnout, but she thinks the incoming rain and other events happening in the county may have affected the gathering.
“It really is a passion of love and patriotism.”
- Larry White, one of the founders of The American Flag Project
“But I’m not disappointed because everyone who was there is proud to be an American,” she said.
Flags were available to be purchased for $1 at the event. The profits will go back to the nonprofit for the cost of the flags themselves, and they will also help Larry and Nikki continue passing out free flags around the county periodically each year.
Larry White said they’ve handed out more than 20,000 American flags in Palm Coast and the rest of the county over the last two years. In addition to passing out the flags at events, the nonprofit has volunteers distribute them in neighborhoods.
“It really is a passion of love and patriotism,” said Larry White, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
Larry White said they began this nonprofit in part because of a study by a University of Chicago sociologist that said exposure to American flags helps people’s attitudes about patriotism and voting.
“We said, ‘Son of a gun, all we need to do is gather up flags,'” he said. “So, that’s what really got us going.”
The event was held at the conclusion of the Freedom Fest, a two-day event at the airport.
For more information, visit theamericanflagproject.org.
