Yellow ribbons show Sisters' support

Tie a yellow ribbon... Photo by Jim Cornelius

The American flag may be red, white and blue, but Sisters is showing its support for the troops with yellow and blue.

The community of Sisters is backing U.S. troops with the traditional yellow ribbon. They are not tied around the "old oak tree," but instead on the chain-link fence of Sisters Elementary School as you drive into town on Highway 20.

Tammy Taylor works for Fullhart Insurance and has been on the Board for Kiwanis for nearly three years. Driving into town one day, Taylor thought to herself, "Why can't we put a banner up to show our support?"

She checked with city officials and the idea was a go. The banner was put up last Wednesday, April 2, and will be there until our men and women come home, she said.

The banner reads: "Sisters Supports Our Troop -- We're Thinking of YOU -- Please Come Home Safe!"

Taylor said she did not want this to be put on by only one service group. So the local Rotary Club, Lions Club and Board of Realtors, along with Kiwanis, are the forces and financiers behind this project.

"The banner is for the community," Taylor said. "Anyone who wants to can tie a yellow ribbon on the chain-link fence."

The idea for the yellow ribbons came from Heather Wester, Vice President of the Rotary Club.

The ribbons are free at the following Sisters businesses: The Gallimaufry, Sisters Drug, The Pony Express and the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce.

Nettie's Gifts and Flowers is also offering yellow ribbons free to families of service men and women.

"I know a lot of people feel like, 'What should I do?'" Taylor said. Hopefully, this is a way for this community to show their support, she said.

Meanwhile, there are many people in Sisters who are involved in the war more personally.

Many in Sisters have a relative in the war. Susan Bird of Coldwell Banker/Reed Bros. Realty is trying to put together a way to honor these family members.

She contacted Jack Berry, Vice Commander of the American Legion, to arrange for Blue Star Banners for service families.

Berry explained that the Blue Star Banner honors mothers whose children are in action.

Bird and Berry will work out an arrangement of who can order a flag and a way to process the requests in the near future.

Goods such as books, CDs, lotion and sundries may be dropped off at Welcoming You to Central Oregon, 121 E. Cascade Ave.