The Fourth of July is always the day usually associated with American patriotism, but it can also be celebrated on June 14.
- June 14 is National Flag Day
- Former Buffalo teacher Sara Hinson is credited with holding first Flag Day celebration
- 600 BPS students marched down Main Street to Forest Lawn Cemetery to lay flags at her grave
That’s because it’s National Flag Day.
It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened 241 years ago on June 14, 1777.
The national holiday has ties to Buffalo.
A former Buffalo teacher, Sara Hinson, is credited with holding the first Flag Day celebration.
On Friday, nearly 600 third, fourth and fifth graders from the Buffalo Public School District marched down Main Street to change flags at her grave in the Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Hinson was born and raised in Buffalo and went onto have a 30-year teaching career in the city. On June 14, 1891, she began the tradition of celebrating the flag on the anniversary of its adoption.
Soon other classrooms across the country followed her lead, even grabbing the attention of President Woodrow Wilson, who then officially recognized the day as a national celebration in 1916.
Teachers hope this parade teaches kids the importance of the symbol of our nation and the sacrifice made by servicemen and women and their families.
“They serve is every day and some people don’t get to learn about it,” said Gabriel Denise Angevin, a fourth grader. “It’s nice to learn about it and get a day off to respect it.”
"It’s the fact that the founder of Flag Day is from our area and used to be a teacher and is buried right here at Forrest lawn,” said music teacher Phyllis Piazza. “That’s huge. All of us talk about it in the classrooms and I sure hope they remember that."
Several veterans joined in on the march and the Buffalo Fire Department showed kids how to respectively burn an older American flag.