Sioux Falls Scheels Hosts First American Flag Exchange
The Sioux Falls Scheels store and American Legion Post 15 honored the American flag by collecting old, worn flags and exchanging them for new ones.
Patriotic Event Details
Scheels' Sioux Falls location held its inaugural flag exchange, partnering with American Legion Post 15 to invite the community to bring in tattered American flags for proper retirement. Participants received new flags while supplies lasted.
Community and Veteran Support
- Andrew Thiessen, hunting manager at Scheels and a veteran, announced the store provided 250 flags for the event.
- Thiessen noted that similar events at other stores had been successful, making this first-year effort promising.
- Scheels committed to donating $25 to the American Legion for every flag exchanged, up to $3,000 total.
“It’s something that the other stores have done and seems to be really successful, so this is our first year doing it here at this store, and I think it’s going really well so far.”
– Andrew Thiessen
“To Scheels, I think it’s just a very core foundation of who we are as a company. We pride ourselves on being employee-owned and a veteran-supporting organization. To me, as a veteran, that’s huge because it’s very welcoming to vets who are transitioning out of the military.”
– Andrew Thiessen
Significance of the Event
Bill Peters, Membership Chairman for the South Dakota Department of the American Legion, emphasized that the flag exchange reminds people of the flag's meaning and honors veterans.
“The event served as a reminder of what the flag represents.”
– Bill Peters
Summary: Sioux Falls Scheels held its first flag exchange to honor veterans and the American flag, supporting local servicemembers through donations and community engagement.