About the Hometown Hero Program

On behalf of Downtown Lock Haven Inc. welcome to our community.  Downtown Lock Haven Inc. is pleased to present the 2008 Hometown Hero Banner Program.  This streetlight banner program is a tribute to those from Clinton County who have or are serving our country in a branch of the military.   

The Hometown Hero Program is a partnership between Downtown Lock Haven Inc. and the Clinton County Veterans Affairs Office. Each individual banner is unique and honors a specific soldier including their picture, branch of service, era of service and hometown in Clinton County.  The program is non-political and non-partisan. It is purely a living memorial to those soldiers from Clinton County who served our country.

We started this project in October 2007 and it was a six month journey focused on honoring the dedication, bravery and heroism of our citizen soldiers. Along the way our Hometown Hero Committee grew from just three members to include several community organizations and a wonderful group of individuals who showed that they truly believe we needed to celebrate all Veterans.  There are 247 sponsors involved with this project including families and businesses and we are grateful for their generosity and support of Hometown Heroes.

What traditionally is a simple street light banner project became a tribute to our service men and women.  And not just a tribute but an initiative to re-invigorate our community and to remember that we all do share a common bond – and that those soldiers who are and who have served our country around the world are our family members, neighbors and friends.

As you know by now, each Hometown Hero banner includes a different veteran’s photo and honors their sacrifices and contributions.  The response to Hometown Heroes was overwhelming and while we are able to honor over 350 Veterans we know that there are thousands of community residents who have served our country.  We hope to continue Hometown Heroes in the coming years so that every Veteran is honored. 

We owe a special thank you to our guest speaker, American Gold Star Mother Ruth Stonesifer and the community of Harrisburg, PA; this project is modeled after Harrisburg’s 2007 Hometown Hero Program.  We hope that other communities will be able to join us in this project.

For those of you, who have the opportunity to visit Lock Haven, Welcome! Enjoy a walk through downtown Lock Haven; it is a beautiful community and we are proud of the progress we are making.  Discover the welcoming spirit of our downtown restaurants and businesses and take a walk along the 2.25 mile scenic river walk.  Most importantly discover Clinton County’s most precious resource – the people of this county who have a deep sense of community and who have made this project possible.   

And to all of those who have served and are serving our country, thank you. We are deeply grateful for your service.