AUSTINBURG, Ohio — Inside the garage of Shawn Shannon's home, a team of volunteers operates like an assembly line, building a massive display for America's 250th anniversary.
The display, dubbed "Project Postcard," consists of drawings made by kids at Jefferson Area Local Schools, St. John School, Grand River Academy and SPIRE Academy, as well as from area churches.
"We used the theme of where would you like to go in America for your vacation or around the world — and draw your picture of where you want to go," Shannon said.
Shawn Shannon remembers watching an enormous flag fly over Geneva Elementary during the Bicentennial in 1976.
"I believe it was 35 feet high and 90 feet long, and all the kids, they sewed the stars, and they sewed the stripes," Shannon said. "This was really the thought that started all this."
That memory inspired Shannon to dream big for America 250, an idea that is now inching closer to the same size as that bicentennial flag.
"We're probably going to have 1,000 or better posters, and these are all going to go up," Shannon said. "We have kids in kindergarten, preschool, all the way to high school. My guess is we're going to be 20 feet up this way. So you're looking 20 feet by 150 feet, so it could be very massive."
For Shannon, an Army veteran and longtime history teacher, the project is personal.
"I get nostalgic when it comes to history, so this is right up my wheelhouse," Shannon said. "We're just trying to give America a little bit of love, make our community a little bit better at a time where community is fighting and a lot of things [are] going on in our world — here's one day we put all of it away and celebrate together."
The completed postcard display can be seen at two upcoming events.
The first is this Friday at Austinburg Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. as part of the annual Nickel Day Carnival.
The second is on the Fourth of July in downtown Jefferson as part of Ashtabula County's America 250 celebration.
Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.
