WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — A $2,595 grant to Pennsylvania College of Technology will fund maintenance of the 1,800-square-foot American flag near the main campus entrance.
Money is awarded annually from the Williamsport–Lycoming Flags Across America Designated Fund at the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania for perpetual care — including as-needed maintenance, replacement and retirement of the flag and flagpole, as well as any landscaping and other beautification of the immediate area.
Barry L. Loner Jr., facilities manager for the college’s General Services department, said this year’s grant will go toward the purchase of two flags.
Because each 30-by-60-foot flag lasts three to six months, depending on weather conditions and normal wear-and-tear, the college generally has several on hand, he said. As the flags become ripped or tattered from exposure to the elements, they are sent out to be refurbished.
Since it was first unfurled atop a 120-foot pole in November 2000 outside the Student & Administrative Services Center, this Stars and Stripes has been the culmination of the annual community Flag Day march and is an unwavering reminder of the institution’s commitment to its veterans.
Penn College’s dedication to veterans and active-duty personnel is regularly recognized by national publications; the college is part of a thriving Army ROTC battalion; and the Major General Fred F. Marty, USA Retired, Veterans & Military Resource Center — a convenient clearinghouse for military benefits and other assistance — recently added an endowed scholarship to its menu of student support.
For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.