"I believe it is our civic duty to give back not only to the community but to our country," said Greg Hitz, who initiated an effort to install banners honoring members of the military in Elizabethtown.

Hitz, who served in the Air Force from 1965 to 1969, began advocating for the banners during his first term as president of the Elizabethtown Lions Club in 2018. Then the pandemic hit, and the plan paused, but now it's moving forward. "The project went to the front burner and, working with the Elizabethtown Borough, Mount Joy Township, members of the Rotary Club and members of the community, it became a reality," he said.

The banners are 29 inches wide by 60 inches long and are made of a high-quality canvas material. Each banner features a photo of the veteran as well as the branch he or she served in and the years served.

"The response has been outstanding," Hitz noted. "We currently have 60 banners in hand, some of which are already in place, with the rest to be installed as time and weather permits. We have 30 more banners in production and are working on the next set of 30 banners."

He emphasized that the project would not be possible without the support of two subcommittees. "One is our Pole Cat Committee, made up of members of the community and the Lions Club," he explained. "Their focus is to identify utility poles that are acceptable for a banner."

The second subcommittee installs the banners and comprises members of the Rotary Club and the Lions Club. Hitz noted that Rotarian Glen Bootay, owner of Waste Hauler Support Services, has been instrumental in the project, supplying equipment and manpower to install the banners.

"He has worked tirelessly to perfect the hanging of the banners to the point that it only takes approximately 15 minute to install one banner," Hitz remarked.

The current agreement with Elizabethtown Borough and Mount Joy Township is to install banners from the Elizabethtown square, moving north and south on Market Street and east and west on High Street. "Future expansion could include West Donegal Township and other streets within the borough," Hitz said.

He noted that although the banners will be placed in the Elizabethtown area, people do not need to have been born or raised there to be featured on a banner. "We are honoring any military veteran, no matter where they live or where they were born," he said.

Emily Williams, a senior at Elizabethtown Area High School, is serving as an intern for the Lions Club and is working closely with Hitz on the banner project. "My dad and my grandpa are Lions themselves, in the Conoy club, so I knew about the Lions, and when I saw the opportunity to intern last year, I was interested," she said, noting that her plans include becoming a social worker. "The values of the Lions Club align with that field of work."

In her internship, Williams handles social media and outreach for the Lions Club. "I'll be taking pictures of the banners when they are installed and keeping people informed about the banner project," she stated.

Applications for a banner are available by contacting the Elizabethtown Lions Club at EtownLionsClub@gmail.com.