Market 32 and Price Chopper collected 2,902 worn American flags from customers this summer in partnership with Stars for Our Troops, a Troy, New York, nonprofit that gives embroidered stars from retired flags to veterans, active-duty military members, first responders and others. 
Of the flags collected, 462 cantons – the blue field containing the 50 stars on an American flag – were suitable for the program, representing 23,100 stars.
The Schenectady, New York-based grocer marked the collection with a star-cutting event at its main offices Aug. 25, where company representatives and Stars for Our Troops demonstrated the process. Market 32, Price Chopper and parent company Northeast Grocery teammates joined in cutting stars from the cantons.
“This collection was about much more than giving worn flags a respectful retirement,” said Blaine Bringhurst, president of Market 32 and Price Chopper. “Every one of these stars represents an opportunity to say thank you to someone who has served our country. We’re incredibly grateful to our customers for helping us turn retired flags into thousands of meaningful reminders – a small yet important way we can ensure our nation’s heroes know they are remembered and appreciated.”
The stars will be distributed on Veterans Day in Market 32 and Price Chopper stores and through Stars for Our Troops, each with a message describing the star as part of a flag that flew over the U.S. and can no longer fly, asking the recipient to carry it as a reminder they are not forgotten.
The company held the collection in recognition of Flag Day and the nation’s 250th anniversary, inviting customers to bring worn flags to any of its 128 stores. Cantons removed from flags suitable for reuse were washed at no charge by Spin City Laundromat in Schenectady before the stars were cut. Flags unsuitable for reuse, along with all scraps, went to Fiber Conversions, a Broadalbin, New York, company that processes textile byproducts, which also donated its services.
“We’re proud to give these flags – and these stars – a meaningful next chapter,” Bringhurst said.
Stars for Our Troops was founded by Susan Wells in 2010 and preserves the embroidered stars from retired flags as expressions of gratitude. Working with community organizations, businesses and volunteers, the group has distributed more than 1.6 million stars.
The collection is part of the company’s support for veterans, active-duty military members, first responders and their families through community partnerships, fundraising and programs across its six-state footprint.
Based in Schenectady, Market 32 and Price Chopper operate 128 supermarkets and employ 15,500 teammates in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The company was founded by the Golub family in 1932.