WATKINS GLEN, NY (WETM) – Our villages are also working hard to honor local veterans through hometown hero banners. For three years, the Hometown Hero Banner Program in the Village of Watkins Glen has been displaying banners featuring those who’ve fought for our country, and this year, they’re adding to the collection.

Patti Schimizzi is a member of the program, and she said that she does this to honor our local heroes and her own family.

“I have been to Corning and Elmira and Dundee and Savona, and all these other places and they all have banners and I thought, gee, this would be a nice way to honor our veterans, honor my father, and it is something for the residents, and the residents love it,” Schimizzi said. “That’s why we have them on the streets that we do because residents drive those particular streets.”

Every batch of banners that they unveil has a theme. In the past, they have hung up banners featuring all women veterans, Italian-American veterans, and many more. This year’s Memorial Day the theme is honoring veterans that gave the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield.

The program gets help from the Village to hang the banners on poles around the area.