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Annandale creates new symbol of pride
"We have our own flag now, and we're very proud," said former chamber president Sami Kalifa, the proprietor of Flower Den florists in the Bradlick Shopping Center at the corner of Braddock and Backlick roads.Kalifa was among the chamber members who donated funds to produce sufficient quantities of flags, both small and large, as well as T-shirts and coffee mugs emblazoned with the the new flag for distribution in the community.
"We went through so many flags. Finally we got to this one," said Kalifa about the selection process.
The choice of design followed months of study and preparation that involved people from as far away as the Netherlands and Portland, Ore.
Competition for the flag design was announced this past spring and the chamber offered a $1,000 prize for the best drawing and concept.
Out of the dozens of ideas submitted, the one selected by the chamber, as well as a community vote, was created by Annandale High School student Michelle Redmon.
The field of the Annandale flag is medium blue. White stripes form a symbolic map representing Columbia Pike and Little River Turnpike, the twin 200-year-old historic roads that converge at Tollhouse Park in the heart of the community.
At the intersection of the two stripes is an elongated red oval containing a stylized version of the Annandale logo-a dogwood tree with a cardinal sitting in its branches. The tree and bird are both symbols of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The shade of blue was selected to match the Scottish flag, recalling that the community is named after the river and town of Annan in southwestern Scotland.
"Whenever you create anything, it has to have meaning," said Dan McKinnon, the current president of the chamber.
Annandale plans to raise its new flag for the first time during a presentation ceremony Oct. 28 as part of the Annual Fall Festival and Parade.
In creating the flag, Annandale in one respect is emulating the many incorporated jurisdictions in Virginia and the handful in Fairfax County, like Fairfax City, that have their own flags.
"Sense of place is important when you live in a county and not a city or town," McKinnon said. "For years we have tried to create a hometown atmosphere in Annandale and become more than a ZIP code to our neighborhoods and businesses. This is an important, and fun, step in that direction."
Annandale may be the first unincorporated community in the area to create this special symbol of identity.
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