The Fourth of July is right around the corner and Palmerton Borough Park got a large dose of red, white and blue Friday morning courtesy of the high school football team.

Several players got to work early putting 1,200 American flags around the perimeter of the park.

“Veterans did a lot for us,” said Cole Serfass, who will be a freshman in the fall. “Our country wouldn’t be as great as it is without them. We have our freedom because of their service, so it means a lot to give back and show our support.”

It’s the second year Palmerton’s football team has helped put the flags in the park, an idea brought to the town by Richard and Darlene Nothstein after seeing a similar setup in Lancaster.

For junior Tim Iles, the moment hit home due to his family’s ties to the Armed Forces.

“My family has a lot of history in the service,” Iles said. “My grandfather served in Vietnam and my brother is serving now. I feel like I’m giving back to them and showing them that we care and support them.”

The relationship between the football team and the town’s veterans runs deep. Several years ago, Palmerton’s football team was first in line when help was needed with setting up and tearing down the Vietnam Moving Wall memorial replica in the park.

In 2016, veterans from American Legion Post 269 in Palmerton joined the football team for a dinner in the high school cafeteria.

Palmerton not only has a proud history of supporting its veterans, but also of supporting its sports teams, and the student-athletes who take to the gridiron each weekend are aware of it.

“This community supports us each and every season, so for us to be able to do this, it’s our way of giving back to them and supporting the town,” said senior Braden Gower.

Gower said the flag project also gives team members a chance to get to know one another better.

“I think it allows us to connect with underclassmen on a level we wouldn’t normally get to do,” Gower said. “On the field, we’re always a family, but to come out here and take off the shoulder pads and get this bonding opportunity.”