Raising the flag for a good cause

Last year Michelynn Laflèche and Benedict Hilliard raised $600 for the Daily Bread Food Bank by displaying and selling specially designed, one-of-a-kind Advent flags on the front lawn of their Leuty Avenue home. It was such a success, and caught the interest of the neighbours so much that they all wanted to participate this year.

Twenty-five homes along Leuty and Violet Avenues will be creating and displaying these Advent flags – one flag per day – from Dec. 1 until Dec. 25. The flags will be placed on auction through  a special website set up for this event – www.dailyflagfordailybread.wordpress.com – with all the proceeds going to the Daily Bread Food Bank.

Laflèche said that many of the households are involving their children and grandchildren in creating these flags. “It’s a real community and family affair,” she said. The flags themselves are approximately one metre by 75 centimetres, and generally made of cloth. After that the sky’s the limit. Some will be sewn, some appliquéd, some printed. Some of the participants are professional artists, others regular families eager to join in the fun for a good cause. Each flag will be unfurled on its appointed day until by Dec. 25 the street will be festooned with colour.

Laflèche also mentioned that students at Williamson Road School are considering replicating this event with Advent flags of their own.

The public is invited to visit Leuty and Violet Avenues several times during Advent (Dec. 1 to 25), enjoy the various flags, and then go online and bid on their favourites. On the website you can view all the names and addresses of the participants, and the dates their special flag will be unfurled.