It has been called the summer equivalent of Christmas Lights, and people drive in from all over the Metroplex to see Our Town painted red, white and blue on the Fourth of July. 

      Starting as a gift to her neighbors, Nell Anne Hunt put out 200 flags in her neighbor's yards on the 4th of July fifteen years ago.  Everyone liked it so much that they offered to help, and suddenly the nugget of an idea that was meant to be became a massive  community effort.  

     This year 300 volunteers will place 30,000 American flags in front of homes, businesses, churches, nursing homes and on the graves of soldiers. There is no government involvement in this project, just patriotic regular people uniting to say they are thankful for living in this great country.  Each year the group, as a sign of unity, covers with beautiful flags the entire length of MacArthur Boulevard which extends for 10 1/2 miles from Grand Prairie to Coppell.  One resident commented while looking at the flags waving on MacArthur, "Today there is no south or north Irving, just one great American city."

          This year the beauty of the flags is being dedicated to two wonderful volunteers who died this year.  Dorothy Schulstad and Patty Schmidt supported this project and spent their lives making this country a better place to live.

      For more information on the Great Flag Caper, contact Nell Anne Hunt at nellanne@flash.net or 972-650-1820.