Hometown Heroes banners, like this one, will be placed around Shepherdstown, beginning with Memorial Day this year. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The Corporation of Shepherdstown kicked off its 2025 Shepherdstown Banner Initiative officially, on Tuesday afternoon.

The 2025 Shepherdstown Banner Initiative will kick off the Corporation of Shepherdstown’s participation in the Hometown Heroes Banner Program, which was started in Harrisburg, Pa. in 2006. The program honors past and present U.S. servicemen and first responders, by making banners with photographs of them, which are then displayed on posts throughout high-traffic areas in a town.

Mayor James Gatz credited several individuals with bringing this initiative to life.

“Local resident Jim Schmitt raised the idea of developing new banners for downtown to Town Council earlier this year,” Gatz said. “Based on his presentation, we appointed a special task force including (Jim) Schmitt, Cheryl Brown and council member Shannon Thomas, to map out an approach for the town.”

The Hometown Heroes banners are typically displayed from Memorial Day through Veterans Day.

For the Corporation of Shepherdstown to do this, it will need to order the banners that will be displayed later this year, relatively soon.

Because of this, Town Administrator Gino Sisco said a deadline has been set for all banner sponsorship submissions to be made by April 1.

“The initial phase will focus on banners that honor our veterans. Residents can participate, by donating $150 to sponsor one or more Hometown Hero banners, in honor of veterans in their life,” Sisco said, in a press release. “The banners will feature the veteran’s photo, name, military branch and dates of service.”

While some towns with the Hometown Heroes Banner Program leave the banners up from the end of May through the beginning of November, Sisco said Shepherdstown would be doing things a little differently, to ensure the banners don’t wear out quickly and to allow other initiatives in town to be given equal visibility.

“These banners will be hung downtown for such holidays as Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Veterans Day and at other appropriate times,” Sisco said, mentioning other new banners, highlighting the town, key town events and important holidays, are currently in the works.

He added that those who would like to provide additional assistance with the 2025 Shepherdstown Banner Initiative can do so, by donating funds to cover the cost involved with purchasing the new brackets that will be used to hang the banners.

Banner sponsorship forms can be downloaded from the town website, Shepherdstown.gov. Residents can also pick up sponsorship forms at Town Hall or call 304-876-2312 for more information.

“We are excited to announce and move forward with this initiative today,” Gatz said. “We will have beautiful new banners in place by this summer.”