He Brings Joy to Others

A Display of Patriotism and Joy

Kyle Fox, a 46-year-old man from Pleasant Grove, Utah, has found a unique way to bring joy to his community. Every summer, he sets up the world’s largest American flag at the entrance to Grove Creek Canyon, lighting it up with an enormous spotlight. This display is not about seeking recognition or making money; it's simply about spreading happiness.

Fox isn’t driven by any political agenda or desire for fame. He runs an office furniture business, which keeps him grounded. His passion lies in making people smile, something he believes is essential to life. “Joy is what life is all about,” he says. “If you’re not having joy, you’re missing it.”

Before this project, Kyle had another way of bringing joy—raising giant pumpkins and dropping them from a crane. It was a fun spectacle that delighted onlookers. However, everything changed when he saw a video of an American flag flying at the mouth of a canyon in Sandy. The video, created by Harold Haugen, inspired Kyle to bring a similar display to his hometown.

In May 2014, Kyle and a group of friends, including Ron Nix, a movie stunt coordinator, successfully unfurled a 30-foot-by-60-foot American flag from a 600-foot expanse at the mouth of Grove Creek Canyon. They’ve continued this tradition every year since, and this year’s flag can still be seen hanging until July 13.

Over the years, the scale of the project has grown. The original flag, provided by Paul Swenson of Colonial Flag in Sandy, was impressive, but nothing compared to the current 78-foot-by-150-foot, 450-pound flag that Kyle claims is the world’s largest hanging flag. Each stripe is 6 feet wide, and the entire 30-by-60 flag could fit inside the stars.

Alongside the flag, Kyle also uses a powerful spotlight he calls “the most powerful light on earth.” While he acknowledges there might be bigger ones, he remains confident in the scale of his display. “If you will do me a favor and find a bigger one,” he says with a smile, “then we’ll know for sure.”

Inspired by the positive response to the first event, Kyle founded a nonprofit called Follow the Flag. Over time, the organization has expanded, and similar giant flags can now be seen in other cities like St. George and North Ogden in Utah, as well as Twin Falls, Idaho, where the flag is hung across the Snake River Canyon.

Initially, the events were self-funded, but Kyle soon realized the need for additional support. “We started selling shirts and hats to help with this,” he explains. People can purchase merchandise or make donations through followtheflag.org.

What continues to amaze Kyle is the number of volunteers who come out each year to help make the events a success. “The team we have are all ages, shapes, forms, out of the woodwork,” he says. “We have people that fly rainbow flags one day and come and do this with us the next. We have people who are Gold Star families, people who didn’t care for it at all, and now have a deep love for the flag and what it means.”

Flying the flag has had a far greater impact than Kyle anticipated. “The simple idea turned into something much more than simple,” he reflects. “The spirit of the American flag has a way of making us all feel connected.” For Kyle, this connection is the true essence of his work—a celebration of joy, patriotism, and community.

Lokasi:

Berbagi :