POINT LOMA, Calif. — If you find yourself in Point Loma, you may notice some red, white, and blue handmade wooden flags popping up in people's yards.
Three young brothers -- Wesley, 11, Mason, 9, and A.J., 6, -- have been assembling and painting the flags with a little help from their dad, Ted. Wesley says inspiration struck when they saw a flag like these in someone's yard.
"Nobody had a total system going on, so we decided to start doing American flags."
Their mom, Nadine Utz, says it started as a homeschooling project last June to teach responsibility and charity.
"We never thought it would turn into this, not in a million years." She goes on to say, "People have been really touched by these flags which really surprised us. We've been told that our flags have been sold, or mailed across the country."
Right now, they are receiving orders for about five flags a week and before major holidays, you may find the boys selling them outside of Jensen's Foods in Point Loma.
Wesley says they've now spotted many of their flags in different places.
"We actually play a game every time we go in the car and every wooden flag you spot is a point."
Part of the point of making the flags is to donate proceeds to the Wounded Warrior Project. They've donated more than $1400 so far. The cause is a fitting one for a family that comes from a long line of service members.
Nadine says, "Being a Navy family we don't get to really immerse ourselves in the community because we move so frequently and this has given us a chance to get to know people on a personal level."
The family says there have been just a few instances when people have mistaken the flags for a political statement.
"The flag is not for everybody, and I think especially around the time of the election, it was a difficult time for the country," says Nadine, who adds that the vast majority of people have told them they love the flags and understand they come from the heart.
Thinking about what her boys are doing and the pure intentions behind it that represent America, Nadine gets emotional.
"It means a lot, it means an absolute lot to us."
She has seen someone pay for a flag for the next stranger and says it feels as though this is bringing the community closer together.
"It seems like the more flags people see in Point Loma, the more people want to be a part of it."
Nadine and the boys say they will keep making them as long as people want them.
A large flag costs $30, the smaller flags cost $20. You can order them by sending an email to PointLomaFlags@gmail.com.
This story was first published by Virginia Cha at KGTV in San Diego, California.
