Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
On Tuesday, July 20, the American Legion Post 224, in Cherry Lake hosted the monthly Business After Hours social event, sponsored by the Madison County Chamber of Commerce. Many Madison County residents gathered at the legion hall to enjoy food and drinks, plus the fellowship of friends during the late afternoon.
One activity special to this particular Business After Hours was the presentation of flags to those who sponsored American flags that flew around the Madison County Courthouse and Four Freedoms Park between Memorial Day and Independence Day. Each year, the American Legion places flags around the courthouse as a display of patriotism and as a fundraiser for the post. Local businesses and individuals can sponsor individual flags. When the season is over, the flags are presented to the sponsors during a Business After Hours event hosted by the American Legion. This year was a record-breaking year for the project. A total of 217 flags were sponsored. So many that there was not enough room around the courthouse and many flags were placed around Four Freedoms Park. This only added to the patriotic spectacle in downtown Madison. The money raised from the flag sponsorship will be used to assist local veterans and for educational programs that teach youngsters flag etiquette and foster proper respect for the nation's flag.
The monthly Business After Hours social events take place on the third Tuesday of the month, are free and open to the public and are hosted by a different Madison County Chamber of Commerce member each month. These social events give businesses and customers the opportunity to know each other on a personal level because we tend to do business with the people we know. The next Business After Hours is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Aug. 17, at Grace and Cloth Mercantile (formerly Southern Grace Gifts), located at 224 SW Range Ave., in Madison. The Business After Hours events generally run from approximately 5:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.