GREENSBORO, N.C. — For the last four years, Hickory Grove United Methodist Church's pastor and his wife spend hours on the streets of Downtown Greensboro at big events like the Fun Fourth Festival with the purpose to, of course, evangelize, but also to remind our community why we're still able to celebrate our independence today.
"We want the community to know that our church supports people, supports our military and that we love our nation," Leon Morrow, the pastor, said. This year the church added a second banner in solidarity of the tragic shooting in Virginia Beach earlier this summer.
"They tell us they will put [it] on the permanent display so that any victims' family members can come by and look at it," Morrow explained.
While they don't count every signature and message, Morrow says the banners get close to a thousand signatures each year. Kylie Ferland, who comes from a military family, makes it a point to sign the banners at Fun Fourth every year.
"Even though they're all the way across the world, all the way across the country, this is my way of showing them my support and thanking them in a special way," she said.
Morrow says the most rewarding thing is getting thank yous from veterans who know what it's like to be away from home on special holidays and receiving the community's support. Lucas Salinas, a former sergeant in the Army who signed the banner, says the cause hits home.
"When I see something like this I've gotta stop and show some support because I've been there," Salinas said. "You have your family there, but nothing replaces the family you have here and the community here."
Navy veteran Larry Ponds says, when you're deployed, these are the thing that help you get through it all.
"To see people take the time to stop here and sign their name, they are just saying 'We stand with you!' Ponds explained. "Because of you, we can do this, we can celebrate like this!"