About Us

Flags for Honor is a celebration presented by the FBI Cleveland Citizens Academy Alumni Association to honor American heroes, mentors, and loved ones. Donations, sponsorships, and flag dedications help us create a brilliant display of American flags that is dedicated to each event’s honorees.

In 2020, the event highlighted those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year marks 20 years since the tragedy of September 11^th, so we will be honoring the heroes and the fallen of 9/11. We will create an awe-inspiring display of American flags based on the donations of community members, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and more. Honorees include but not limited to:

• Heroes of 9/11
• Fallen of 9/11
• Local Firefighters
• Local Law Enforcement
• Active or Reserve U.S. Military Personnel
• U.S. Military Veterans

The flags will be proudly erected in Edgewater Park in Cleveland, Ohio. The flags will be displayed on Sept. 9-12 in honor of the individuals who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. The patriotic display of American flags can also be observed while driving down Route 20. Flags are also displayed year-round in our Virtual Flag Dedication. We recognize both current and past honorees in our Virtual Flag Dedication. Also, on our interactive Honoree Map, each flag displays the name, location, and description of the honoree.

This year, all our proceeds will help support the FBI Cleveland Citizens Academy Alumni Association to support their mission of creating safer communities in Northeast Ohio.

When the American Revolution broke out in 1775, the colonists weren’t fighting united under a single flag. Instead, most regiments participating in the war for independence against the British fought under their own flags. In June of 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to create the Continental Army—a unified colonial fighting force—with the hopes of a more organized battle against its colonial oppressors. This led to the creation of what was, essentially, the first “American” flag, the Continental Colors.

With the suggestion from George Washington, on June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress took a break from writing the Articles of Confederation. It passed a resolution stating that “the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white,” and that “the union is 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson marked the anniversary of that decree by officially establishing June 14th as Flag Day.

The FBI Cleveland Citizens Academy Alumni Association‘s goal is to help build safer communities in the greater Cleveland metropolitan area.  We are a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization that supports local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies through our two Pillars of Community Engagement/Awareness and Education/Training. The FBICLECAAA is a branch of the FBI National Citizens Academy Alumni Association, separate and apart from the FBI.