St. Johns County's American Flag Rescue Program has collected 31,000 worn American flags since its founding in 2019, according to a county announcement published Nov. 10.

The program offers collection boxes at more than 40 locations across St. Johns County, including government offices, libraries, local businesses and community organizations. One of those sites is the Tax Collector's Ponte Vedra Beach office at 151 Sawgrass Corners Drive.

Volunteers Viki and Mike Cofone collected the milestone flag in September from a collection box at the Tax Collector's office in St. Augustine. Volunteers help sustain the program by picking up flags from participating locations across the county.

Chris Benjamin, the program's founder and a member of the St. Johns County Solid Waste Division, started the effort in 2019 to give residents a way to retire worn flags.

"This milestone reflects the care our residents have for the American flag and the commitment of the volunteers and community partners who make this program possible," Benjamin said in the county's announcement. "Every flag collected is an opportunity to ensure it is treated with honor and respect."

To mark the achievement, the program presented a framed, rescued 48-star American flag to the Tax Collector's St. Augustine annex for public display. The presentation recognized Tax Collector Jennifer Ravan and her staff for their ongoing support. All four of Ravan's offices host collection boxes.

The four Tax Collector drop-off sites are:

  • 4030 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine (main office)
  • 725 Flora Branch Road, St. Johns
  • 6670 U.S. 1 South, St. Augustine
  • 151 Sawgrass Corners Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach

A full list of collection sites is available on the St. Johns County website. Residents with questions can contact the Solid Waste Division at 904-827-6980.