Hi everybody,

First off, I want to express my appreciation and gratitude to all the runners, drivers, and logistical support people who made this flag run possible. It still amazes me that we were able to have this event take place in our state with basically one week to prepare.

I want to give a special thanks to Lansing Brewer, Layton Gwinn, and Lisa Gassmann. They stepped up to the plate big time and ran each section of the state. With just a phone call and a belief in what this flag run represented these individuals put in countless hours of hard work to help out. The support we received from state and local governments was great, especially from the Highway Patrol. Their professionalism and assistance made it possible to have a safe and rewarding run with our nations’ flag. I would also like to thank Dave Gray, Charles Bestard, and Richard Naumann for their assistance with the media and coordination with the national folks.

Many of you have asked about T-shirts. They are on order. We had 1000 made up in the original batch. They went pretty quickly and it took a while to get a sponsor. Expect to receive more information on the web site as to the availability and cost. You will also receive a “blast” e-mail when the information becomes available.

The flag passing through our state was a great success. I had hundreds of e-mails and phone calls from people wanting to help. While it was not physically possible for me to contact everyone, I hope that everyone had a chance to come out and run with the flag. We had hundreds of runners that joined us along the route. If you didn’t get a chance to run, please look at the timeline and possibly join in another state. You will have a smile on your face for a very long time.

Again, I thank you for stepping in and helping us carry the flag across this country.

Sincerely,

Rich Guilford
SC Flag Run Coordinator