SAN DIEGO -- A local chain of sign companies now offer families and friends of returning service members free, customized banners for homecoming events.
Family members or friends of the deployed military can contact participating SIGN-A-RAMA chains around San Diego to help design a banner. Since Nov. 9, the store began to offer the service as a way of saying thank you to service members and their families.
“Waiting for their return can be an emotional roller coaster for their families and friends,” said Steve Mader, the owner of the branch in Kearny Mesa. “SIGN-A-RAMA would like to show its appreciation to our brave Marines, sailors and soldiers by helping to make their return home just a little more special with a personalized, professionally created banner.”
The company requests family members and friends interested to give their full name, phone number and date of homecoming. They also require the name, rank and branch of service, along with any special greeting they would like displayed on the banner.
“Since we started this offer, the store has received around a dozen requests for the banners,” said Mader. “This has been done before on the east coast, but me and a couple other branches brainstormed and decided to do it for the military here.”
The store will put the special greeting on a 24 X 60 size banner and can create as many as requested.
“We would also like for families of deployed service members who request welcome home banners, to send photos of their loved ones for our ‘Wall of Honor’,” said Eve D. Delgado, a sign consultant for the Kearny Mesa branch. “The wall in front of our office will feature a collage of them for our customers to see.”
Families and friends can contact the participating stores Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The requested banner can be ready within 48 hours of the request. To contact the nearest SIGN-A-RAMA branch, visit www.signarama.com.
“Its good to see people helping and providing more support for our Marines deployed,” said Jocelyn Garcia, whose boyfriend recently returned with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466. “When my boyfriend comes home, he’ll know where to find our families and friends in the crowd and can see how much we care about him.”