(Drumright, Okla.) It’s their centennial year and Drumright is flying high! Saturday, immediately following the Drumright High School Alumni Parade, a crowd of residents and visitors traveled to the top of one of Drumright’s hills, to watch history take place.
A huge flag – 30 ft. x 50 ft. – was raised 100 feet in the air in honor of Drumright’s centennial, veterans, and a former mayor of Drumright and U.S. Marine – Cleo Hutchinson.
“The spirit of Drumright is alive and well,” Drumright City Manager Danny Cooper said. “And Cleo Hutchison was Drumright through and through.”
The Hutchinson family donated the piece of land, now known as Cleo Hutchison Memorial Centennial Park, where the 100 ft. flag pole was erected.
“We’re thrilled to death to be able to have something named after him on some property he had owned and was important to him,” Cleo’s daughter Sandy (Hutchison) Perry, said. “It is indeed an honor.”
The flag and pole was paid for completely by folks and businesses around town. “Every penny that is in this project, there’s about $6,200 in stuff we’re looking at, was donated,” Cooper said.
Drumright enlisted the help of local Boy Scouts and Drumright Police and Fire to carry the gigantic flag to the pole. At times they had to really hold tight as it was being attached to the pole.
“Now that’s a big flag,” one of the scouts was overheard saying.
Yes it is.
The crowd cheered as the flag was released to unfurl.
“You’ll be able to see this thing from Cushing,” Cooper said. “You can see it coming from the turnpike.”
Cooper went on to urge folks to go sit at the new Cleo Hutchison Centennial Park and then “catch the Spirit…and honor those who have gone before…”
The park is located near the corner of Cimarron and Federal Streets. If you don’t know where that is – just look for Old Glory waving.
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