Flags and Flannel

Description

Tickets are selling quick! Don't miss your chance to reserve your seat:  https://flagsandflannel2020.eventbrite.com.  This March 6 multi-course Whiskey Dinner will support national Flag Day monument.

DeKalb distillery Whiskey Acres is teaming up with North Aurora caterer Team FIB BBQ and the Fox Valley Patriotic Organization (FVPO) to present Flags & Flannel, a multi-course whiskey dinner 6 p.m. Friday, March 6, at Abbey Farms, 2855 Hart Rd., Aurora. The event is the second annual fundraiser in support of a national-caliber Flag Day monument to be built in Batavia.

The FVPO, a 501(c)3 non-profit launched in 2019 to honor, educate and engage citizens in the spirit and history of unity under the American Flag through the construction and preservation the monument that will be a cultural asset providing an interactive chronicle of milestones—major triumphs that have shaped the Nation—and will serve as a destination for future generations to learn and grow.

“The idea for the monument grew out of a conversation about how we could honor the area’s deep connection to the history of Flag Day through Dr. Bernard Cigrand, a Batavian who appealed to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson to establish the holiday in 1916,” said Austin Dempsey, President of the FVPO.

As the idea evolved, the planned monument grew from a commemorative piece to an educational attraction that can be celebrated throughout the region and inspire a sense of unity today and for generations to come.

“Beyond the pure beauty of the piece, it will be a functional, interactive learning tool,” said Dempsey.

Designed by architect Steve Vasilion of Batavia, the monument is a combination of architectural elements that unfold both to tell the story of the American Flag and to mark the historic milestones that unite Americans under the flag. The flagpole itself will serve as a sundial marking such celebrated events as the first moon landing along with national tragedies, such as 9-11, by date and time as it shines along the 40-foot diameter brick helix. Groundbreaking is planned for Flag Day, June 14, 2020, with completion and unveiling on the same date in 2021.

The educational elements are what attracted board member and Flags & Flannel Chair Cathy McNally to the project.

“As the proud Army Mom to 1st Lieutenant, Zachary McNally currently serving overseas, I am excited to help bring the Flag Day monument to the region and to the generations to follow,” she said. “This project will create a vehicle for conversation with our children, teaching them of the unbroken chain of heroes who have defended our way of life.”

The event will feature a welcome appetizer paired with a whiskey cocktail followed by a three-course meal with whiskey pairings:

• Welcome reception: barbecue pulled pork crostini appetizer with a Bourbon Slush frozen cocktail made with Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon and topped with ginger ale.
• Salad course—Field greens with candied smoked walnuts, dried cranberries, smoked Gouda cheese and raspberry vinaigrette dressing paired with a Nochino Manhattan made with Whiskey Acres Straight Rye, Whiskey Acres Nochino walnut liqueur, Angostura bitters and Amarena cherry.
• Entrée—Bourbon-honey glazed pork loin with blueberry bourbon barbecue sauce, sweet potato mash and green beans w/ bacon paired with Bourbon & Blues, Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon, blueberry syrup and lemonade.
• Dessert will be a house-made apple crisp with bourbon-caramel drizzle paired with Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon served neat.

A live auction will be held and the event also will be the first opportunity to purchase specially minted challenge coins commemorating the monument. Legacy bricks with customized engraving also may be ordered. Visit www.flagdaymonument.com for information and a link to Eventbrite tickets, priced at $100.

“Last year’s Flags & Flannel was our first fundraising event offering an opportunity to come and dine together as a regional community.” said Dempsey. “This year Cathy McNally and her committee have evolved the concept to a whiskey dinner, working with local suppliers to create a truly unique event.”

To sponsor or donate auction items use the contact form at www.flagdaymonument.com.