An American flag appreciation walk will be held on Sunday, October 21 from noon to 2 p.m. The walk will start outside of La Bella’s Pizza Bistro in New Paltz. Participants will walk downtown on the sidewalks on both sides of the road waving flags and homemade signs and then head back to La Bella’s at 2 p.m. for refreshments.
Joey Garcia decided to organize this event because he has a love and appreciation for the American flag and his country. “To me it represents many things — freedom, compassion, strength and pride to name a few,” he says. “I support our military, our law enforcement and fire fighters as well. In my opinion, we live in the greatest country on earth. But lately, our flag has been under attack. It seems like many people today speak out against our flag and country, and want to only point out what they feel is wrong with it. But I feel like those of us who do not feel that way have a voice too and deserve to be heard. So I’m hoping to have all of us who respect our flag and country to come take a walk with me.”
LaBella’s is also the site where a future American flag mural is going to be painted, and local opposition to the flag mural was another motivation for Garcia to create this event.
Garcia stresses that the walk is not a political event and requests that there be no signs about any candidate or political party.
“This is a positive peaceful event meant to unify, to bring people from all walks of life together and to find common ground,” he says. “I’m also asking any motorcycle riders that support this event to be part of a rolling thunder brigade and meet at the Tops parking lot that day at 12:15 p.m. for a ride down Main Street in a show of unity for the flag. For additional information, visit the event page on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/events/314577085792296/?ti=icl. If you’d like to donate online to the flag mural, visit:https://www.gofundme.com/.
Join the family! 
