Schools

AZ Elementary Students Raise U.S. Flag Before School Every Day

Students at Freedom Elementary in Buckeye have kept the patriotic tradition going after the custodian who usually does it was injured.

Three students at Freedom Elementary School in Buckeye, Arizona, volunteered to raise the United States flag every morning after the custodian who usually handles it was injured.
Three students at Freedom Elementary School in Buckeye, Arizona, volunteered to raise the United States flag every morning after the custodian who usually handles it was injured. (Google Maps)

BUCKEYE, AZ — When the school custodian who usually raises the American flag outside Freedom Elementary School in Buckeye, Arizona, got injured, three students took it upon themselves to make sure the patriotic tradition continues.

Eighth grader Brian Beattie-Diaz and fifth graders Gabriel Romero-Martinez and Logan Fettes have showed up early to school every day for the last few weeks to get the job done, according to a report from ABC-15.

Fettes told the news station he feels "honored" to have the responsibility, and Romero-Martinez feels proud of himself "for helping someone out that's injured."

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The idea to raise the flag every day was the students' own.

School counselor Rachel Bustos said she was approached by the trio, who noticed the flag wasn't going up the first few days after the custodian got injured.

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For the students, the experience has doubled as a lesson on the flag.

"You have to treat it really well and don't let it touch the floor at all," Romero-Martinez said.

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