They stitched a giant American flag and brought it to the annual Haddonfield 4th of July Parade.
It started a tradition of neighbors gathering year after year to contribute something patriotic to the parade under the banner of Roberts Avenue.
The flag itself did not return each year. Instead, neighbors built floats inspired by American history, movies like Star Wars, aviation history, and more.
2026, America's 250th anniversary, marked one of the few times the flag has returned to the parade route.
Today, the group on Robert's Avenue were awarded a first-place prize by the parade's judges.
Residents like Chris Maynes and Mary Eileen Kernagis Perhosky credit their parents for starting their neighborhood's tradition in 1973.
They also fondly credit a neighbor named Mary Taylor Previte, who as a child, spent years in a Japanese internment camp in China before being liberated by Americans.
A tree on Roberts Avenue is dedicated in Previte's memory.
The Haddonfield 4th of July Parade dates back more than 70 years and is organized by the Haddonfield Celebrations Association.
Watch the video above to experience more of Haddonfield's 4th of July Parade.
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