All Done, Let’s Celebrate: Dedication Ceremony for the Flagship Inn & Suites’ New Military Mural
Virginia Beach, VA (PRWEB) October 10, 2013 -- The Flagship Inn & Suites in Virginia Beach, VA has been revived with a new mural to honor the military community, and a dedication ceremony to celebrate its completion will be held on Saturday, October 19th at 4:00 PM. The celebration will take place in the parking lot behind the Flagship Inn, located on Pacific Avenue. Hampton Roads-based muralist Sam Welty, in partnership with award-winning nonprofit Warrior Gateway, has been working for almost three weeks to refinish Welty’s 2002 mural on the side of the Flagship Inn. The project is part of Warrior Gateway’s Patriots in Paint initiative, a program designed to build a strong network of community involvement through art, activities and multi-media platforms by painting large scale murals honoring the military in communities across the country.
“It is an honor to be able to use my art to support the military and share this message with the people of Hampton Roads. We can never forget the sacrifices made by our service members and their families and must show our gratitude for the ability to live free,” said mural artist Sam Welty.
The new mural depicts the USS Enterprise (CVN 65), USS Cole (DDG 67), Strike Fighter Squadron THREE ONE (VFA 31) and Strike Fighter Squadron ONE FOUR THREE (VFA 143). Members of the represented squadrons from the mural have been invited to attend Saturday’s celebration along with local dignitaries and politicians. The dedication ceremony will include a live band, local vendors and other entertainment. Whitner’s BBQ, featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives, will also be serving their famous BBQ at the event. Virginia Beach residents are invited to attend the celebration next Saturday, October 19th. Individuals can also show their support and appreciation for the creation of this mural by donating online at: http://www.warriorgateway.org and designate Patriots in Paint – The Flagship Inn.
About Warrior Gateway™: Founded in 2009, Warrior Gateway connects service members, military families, wounded warriors, families of the fallen and our nation's veterans with government and non-profit programs in their local community. Warrior Gateway harnesses state-of-the art technology and community collaboration to help today's military community make better decisions about what service provider they can go to for help. Their programs provide a public forum where people can share their experiences about the quality and effectiveness of those services. In 2011, Warrior Gateway’s efforts were recognized with the Federal Computer Week Fed-100 award for significant contributions to the Federal IT community and in 2012 with a ComputerWorld Honors Laureate for our innovation in creating an open-source platform for information sharing. A proud partner of the Got Your 6 campaign, Warrior Gateway works to bridge the civilian-military divide with non-profit and government partners. Warrior Gateway is an IRS registered 501(c)3 organization. For more information, please visit http://www.warriorgateway.org.
Kelly Finn Störmer, Warrior Gateway, http://www.warriorgateway.org, +1 (202) 695-3668, [email protected]
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