Staff photo by Fritz Busch Sleepy Eye native Rick Mages stands under a 30-foot wide American flag flying atop a lighted, 80-foot pole near the intersection of Highway 14 and Brown County Road 27 just east of Sleepy Eye.

SLEEPY EYE — Rick Mages of Sleepy Eye proudly stood under a 30-foot wide American flag flying on top of an 80-foot pole near the intersection of Highway 14 and Brown County Road 27 just east of Sleepy Eye.

When talking about it, he’s quick to say the flag project became a reality last fall due to a long list of donors and volunteers with a vision.

“It all started a couple years ago after we did the Huey (helicopter) project in Veteran’s Park (in downtown Sleepy Eye),” said Mages. “Doug Pelzel and I were visiting about it and we thought we should get a big American flag like Springfield has. We thought a good spot would be where it is now.”

It was learned the City of Sleepy Eye didn’t own the property at the time.

“Brown County Commissioner Brian Braun helped the City of Sleepy Eye acquire the property, which took about a year,” Mages said. “The Sleepy Eye American Legion did the project but a lot of other people helped out. Like the plaque under it says, “dedicated the flag to our veterans, emergency first responders and all community volunteers.”

A fundraising project was held.

“The Sleepy Eye Servicemen’s Club Charitable Gambling stepped up, saying they would help pay for the $20,000, 80-foot, aluminum flag pole and 20 by 30 foot flag that cost more than $1,000 itself,” said Mages.

Then more donors stepped up, helping reduce project costs.

Mages said Heiderscheidt Digging dug a hole eight and one-half feet deep for the four by four feet base that took 13 and one-half yards of concrete poured by Wurtzberger Construction.

Schaefer Crane Service mounted the flag pole. High-powered, ground level lights were added to the flag pole base. Other donors were Sleepy Eye Electric, City of Sleepy Eye, H&M Drilling, Bolton & Menk, Sleepy Eye Sportsmans Club, and Kibble Equipment.

Individual names listed on the plaque cited Sleepy Eye native and decorated Air Force aviator Brady “Fuel” Augustin, Vietnam Veteran Ralph Grundmeyer, former Sleepy Eye Mayor Wayne and his wife Patti Pelzel, Betty Jass and the late Tim Ibberson, a Sleepy Eye veteran, and the Sleepy Eye American Legion Club and its volunteers.

“We’re were told the flag pole could stand 115 mph wind,” said Mages.

The American flag was raised on the big flag pole Dec. 23, 2024.

Because big flags fray quickly, three flags are rotated and mended every six weeks for display on the flag pole

The flag and flag pole really stand out at night with two high-powered lights shining from ground level to the top of the flag.

“It takes a lot of people volunteering to do a project like this. I was just a point person,” Mages said.

A former U.S. Marine Corps member like others in his family, Mages is busy at Sleepy Eye American Legion Post 7. He has served as local Legion commander, adjutant, treasurer and the Legion Club board for many years.

Mages said American Legion Charitable Gambling donates to many community needs.

Serving in the Marines from 1972 to 1976, he deployed for a year in Okinawa.

He’s been a Sleepy Eye Honor Guard member since 1981, attending more than a dozen funerals veterans each year.

He helped create Sleepy Eye Food for Kidz in 2004. The organization is 30,000 meals shy of creating 1.5 million meals and collecting more than $200,000 in meal donations in 20 years.

“The meals go the areas of need around the world through the Catholic Aid Association. Meals are sent to individuals dealing with national disasters in the U.S.” he said. “There is a big need now due to the high number of refugees in foreign countries. We’ll be creating oatmeal meals from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2 at the Sleepy Eye Event Center.”

Mages has been involved with the Knights of Columbus who took over the project about five years ago.

“My daughter Brianna got it started as a school project. My wife Jane and sister Deb Fischer have also been very involved in it,” he said.