Plainfield 5th grader raises $2,060 to help disabled veterans

Commemorative flags will remain on school grounds through Thursday

Henry Franzen, a fifth grade student at River View Elementary School, raised $2,060 for the Disabled American Veterans Field of Flags. Commemorative flags will remain on school grounds through Thursday. Henry Franzen crouches in the Field of Flags at the school on Friday, November 8, 2024.

A Plainfield fifth grader is honoring veterans in two ways this Veterans Day.

Henry Franzen, a student at River View Elementary School, raised $2,060 for the Disabled American Veterans Field of Flags, according to a news release from Plainfield School District 202.

So, in addition to raising money to help disabled veterans, Henry placed 192 flags outside River View in time for Veterans Day.

The Disabled American Veterans sends the person raising the funds 24 flags for every $250 raised, according to the DAV website.

“Each flag in the Field of Flags honors a different hero,” according to the website. “Behind each flag is a unique story – a story about courage and freedom.”

A lot of our veterans are from Vietnam now, and they did not get respected when they came home, so I want to respect them now.”

—  Henry Franzen, a fifth grader at River View Elementary School in Plainfield

The flags will remain on the school grounds through at least Thursday, Henry’s mother Mallory Franzen said. The Rolff Sign Co. in Plainfield donated a sign to accompany the flags, she added.

Henry is pleased with the results.

“It’s a little hard, but it feels good once you finish all the hard stuff. It feels good to do it,” Henry said in the release. “Every time [I] get another donation I feel happy because another veteran gets helped.”

Almost 200 flags fly in front of River View Elementary School on Friday, November 8, 2024. Fifth-grader Henry Franzen raised more than $2,000 to put 192 flags and the sign in front of the school for Veterans Day.

Mallory said she saw information about the Disabled American Veterans Field of Flags on social media and showed it to her son because she thought he might like to read it.

Henry became interested in the military in second grade, Mallory said. He liked reading books about the military, often set up plastic military figures to represent different wars, and enjoyed watching age-appropriate movies about the military, she said.

Mallory isn’t sure what sparked Henry’s interest in the military other than the fact his great-grandfather and several cousins served, she said.

“When he’s older, he’d like to go into the Army – and maybe go to West Point,” Mallory said.

Mallory said Henry latched onto the idea of fundraising for the Disabled American Veterans Field of Flags and contacted his principal on how to make that happen.

“I thought this was a pretty cool thing to honor veterans,” Henry said in the release. “A lot of our veterans are from Vietnam now, and they did not get respected when they came home, so I want to respect them now.”

River View Elementary School fifth grader Henry Franzen watches his grandfather  Mike Murphy install a sign honoring veterans at the school on Friday, November 8, 2024. Henry raised more than $2,000 to put 192 flags and the sign in front of the school for Veterans Day.

River View Principal Kelly Gregoire said in the release that she and Henry met in late September to discuss the fundraiser.

Henry created a flyer and a QR code so people could easily donate through Henry’s page on the DAV website, Gregoire said in the release.

Gregoire and Henry then used the school’s virtual announcements to show the fundraising totals and encourage families to donate, she said in the release.

“It’s so inspiring that Henry came up with the idea and engineered it himself,” Gregoire said in the release. “I’m really, really proud of the initiative, dedication and passion Henry showed in this project.”

Mallory said Henry initially had set a fundraising goal of $1,000. But she said his efforts really took off after he spoke about his fundraiser at an October veterans’ expo – hosted by the local Will4Vets nonprofit organization – and after word then spread through the Plainfield community.

“He doubled his goal and was really surprised by that,” Mallory said.

(From left) River View Elementary School fifth-grader Henry Franzen, Mike Murphy, Henry's grandfather, Mallory Franzen, Henry's mom, and Sandy Murphy, Henry's grandmother stand by a sign honoring veterans at the school on Friday, November 8, 2024. Henry raised more than $2,000 to put 192 flags and the sign in front of the school for Veterans Day.

Henry wants to continue supporting the DAV Field of Flags event after he moves to Timber Ridge Middle School next year.

Mallory said she’s proud of her son.

“It’s been a really good learning opportunity for him,” she said. “Sometimes he’s shy, so it’s been great to get him out and talking to adults and building confidence. We noticed a huge difference from it.”

For more information about the Disabled American Veterans Field of Flags, visit support.dav.org.

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