Batavia High School student wins Batavia community flag design contest

Pictured above, left to right are Kathleen Tieri Ton, Batavia High School graphics teacher; Rachel Argo, BHS sophomore and flag design winner; Shirley Mott, membership & communications coordinator for Batavia Chamber of Commerce; Marty Callahan, chairperson of the Flag Design Contest committee; Patti Anselme, special events coordinator for Batavia Chamber of Commerce; and Margaret Perreault, president & CEO for Batavia Chamber of Commerce.

A Batavia High School sophomore is the winner of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce’s community flag design contest.

Rachel Agro’s design was selected from 107 entries, according to a news release from the Chamber. Agro was one of 46 students under age 18 who submitted designs.

The winning design, along with a presentation of the top 10 submissions, will be displayed at the Batavia City Council meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, April 3, at 100 N. Island Ave. At the presentation, Mayor Jeffery Schielke will proclaim the flag as the Batavia Community Flag.

The other top 10 designs were submitted by Gina Bernacchi, Leonardo Ceo, Nathanial Cooper, Josh Helsper, Adan Huerta, Grace Huggins, the Nate Leman family, Jamie Saam and Adrian Susic, according to the release.

FlagSource, a local business, is producing a 3-foot-by-5-foot flag for $50 and a garden size flag with stake for $35.

Visit www.bataviachamber.org/store/ to order a flag, which will be available for pickup at the Batavia Chamber of Commerce office, 106 W. Wilson St.

Both sizes of the flag can be purchased at Batavia’s Flag Day Celebration on Wednesday, June 14. The Chamber is donating 25% of the profits from the sale of the flags to the Fox Valley Patriotic Organization in support of Batavia Flag Day Monument, according to the release.

“It is meant to represent Batavia and its historical connection to industry along with its geography. In addition to the windmill, the blue stripes represent the Fox River, which shapes the geography of the town. Lastly, the windmill also takes up the shape of the sun. Batavia’s relatively flat geography makes it a perfect place to spectate its gorgeous sunrises and sunsets,” Agro said in the release.

Margaret Perreault, president and CEO of the Chamber, said the contest was conceived to help design a flag that can be proudly flown at residences as well as businesses to demonstrate commitment to and involvement in the community.

“Our town has an amazing way of depending on each other, supporting each other and coming together for the common good, and this competition has shown this,” Perreault said in the release. “We’re also excited that the Batavia Chamber can partner with one of our valued members, FlagSource, to produce this flag so that everyone can show their town spirit by proudly flying a Batavia community flag!”

“Batavia has a strong and unique history, so a Batavia community flag needs to reflect this,” Schielke said in the release. “I believe that this one does so, with a strong recognizable identity to it. I am happy that a flag will be available for anyone to purchase.”

A sample of the flag can be seen at the Batavia Chamber of Commerce.