PITTSBURGH — Allegheny County leaders began Memorial Day weekend by honoring the sacrifices made by men and women in uniform on Friday and distributing flags in Downtown Pittsburgh.
Sheriff Kevin Kraus, along with deputies and Allegheny County Veterans Services officials, spent their lunch hour handing out more than 575 flags to people walking or driving by the courthouse.
“We get hundreds of flags, and we take to the streets and distribute them to motorists and pedestrians on the Friday before Memorial Day to honor the service and the ultimate sacrifice of the men and women of the armed services,” Sheriff Kraus told Channel 11.
Kraus says he does this every year to remind people about the importance of the holiday.
“A lot of people, when they take a flag, they tell us they’re going to take it to the grave of a loved one and put the flag on the grave site,” Sheriff Kraus said.
Kraus connects with the public through these on-the-street giveaways multiple times a year, most notably during the holidays when he and deputies pass out pointsettas.
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