Revealing How Michigan’s ‘Pop Up’ American Flags Appear

You may have noticed, and if you haven't, you haven't been paying attention, that several times a year, hundreds upon thousands of American flags pop up, seemingly overnight (or even while you work), throughout Mid-Michigan. Where do they come from? How do they end up in the same exact spot year after year? Are these patriotic elves doing the work of Uncle Sam? Actually, for some Mid-Michigan communities, it's not magic; it's a subscription service provided by Kiwanis Clubs in the area.

Related: Michigan's Endangered State Flag: 3 Species Nearly Wiped Out

While similar programs are conducted by various service organizations throughout the state and across the country, let's take a look at two that serve the Mid-Michigan area.

Saluting Service: Flags Over Meridian & The Lee Zimmerman Flag Programs

In Meridian Township, the Kiwanis Haslett & Okemos provides a subscription flag service, Flags Over Meridian. For $40 a year, they will place Ole' Glory in your front yard or business four times a year for seven holidays.

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Beginning on Memorial Day, Kiwanians will submerge (if you're a new subscriber) a roughly 18-inch-long PVC pipe into your yard, supporting your American flag for the length of your subscription. Once the holiday has passed, they will collect the flag and place a red plastic top onto the PVC, which is placed at a mower-friendly height. They'll return to place them for the Flag Day, Juneteenth, and Independence Day stretch, then again on Patriots Day and Veterans Day.

A similar subscription is available From the Kiwanis Club of Jackson, Michigan. Called the Lee Zimmerman Flag Program in honor of it's founding member, this $40 annual subscription includes Memorial Day through Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day through Patriots Day, and Veterans Day (weather permitting).

Both the Jackson and Haslett & Okemos Kiwanis Clubs provide flags for government offices and parks. Jackson's finest display of flag-lined streets can be seen in Cascades Park and along Fourth Street in front of the Middle School at Parkside and Ella Sharp Park, while the Marketplace on the Green near Meridian Mall serves as a great display of patriotism for Okemos.

If you're interested in subscribing to either program, click the links below for more information on rates and what programs the proceeds benefit:

• Flags Over Meridian
  • Kiwanis Haslett & Okemos (click here)
• Kiwanis Lee Zimmerman Flag Program
  • Kiwanis Club of Jackson (click here)

For-profit companies offer similar services, but they don't have the same impact on your neighbors. The concept isn't unique to Kiwanis, though many throughout the state have adopted the program. VFWs, high schools, and many other nonprofit organizations that have a lasting effect on your backyard offer similar subscriptions. So, the next time you drive by one of these 'pop-up' flags, enjoy knowing that it not only evokes a sense of patriotism but also local pride and service.