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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Turnout good for annual Freedom Festival flag raising
Veterans and preschoolers recited the Pledge of Allegiance together as rain poured down Monday during the "Salute to our Stars and Stripes," one of the first events of the 2010 Freedom Festival.
Around 40 people huddled under a shelter on the Second Avenue bridge and sang the national anthem as U.S. Army veteran Jim Bruner raised the American flag. A few children from Loving Care Learning Center and Mayor Ron Corbett were also in attendance.
Russ Oviatt, director of marketing and operations for the Freedom Festival, said it was one of the better turnouts for the annual event, despite the rain.
The Freedom Festival began Sunday and continues through July 4.
Veterans salute the flag during the Freedom Festival's Salute to our Stars and Stripes at the plaza near Veterans Memorial Coliseum this morning, Monday, June 14, 2010. About 40 people attended the rain-soaked event. (Jeff Raasch/The Gazette)
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