The annual Memorial Day Flag Garden on Boston Common will be canceled and go virtual this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced Monday.
More than 37,000 flags, which honor fallen Massachusetts service heroes, have been placed on Boston Common for the last decade by hundreds of volunteers.
The Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, which organizes the event, said this year the event will go "virtual" for the safety of all those involved.
Organizers are asking military families, supporters and the public to hand print flags in their homes and businesses and hang them in their windows from May 21 through Memorial Day.
Those who make flags are also encouraged to take a selfie and/or short video while talking about the importance of Memorial Day and post them on their social media accounts with the hashtag #HeroesFlagGarden.
"We know how much the families we serve, our dedicated volunteers and the public will miss the full-scale Boston Common flag garden but we're asking them to throw that energy into making sure we hang as many or more flags across the state to honor the fallen," said Diane Nealon, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund.
The group, led by families of fallen military heroes and 9/11 families, has been planting flags for every service member from Massachusetts dating back to the Revolutionary War. Their effort has prompted dozens of similar efforts around the state and around the world.
