The 2025 Field of Honor raised more than $23,000. At the Village Board meeting on December 15, 2025, officials said $6,442.98 would go to Lake County Honor Flight and the same amount to Midwest Veterans Closet. Midwest Veterans Closet operates out of North Chicago, and Lake County Honor Flight lists a North Chicago mailing address. The minutes record that the donation would help send four veterans on Honor Flights.
That number explains the flags going up at Jewett Park next month better than the flags do. Most Deerfield residents will see the display while driving past or walking in from the community center. The display is also a fundraiser with a public accounting. Each flag a neighbor dedicates turns into a specific kind of help at two small organizations up the road.
What's on the Calendar for 2026
The Village posted the 2026 details on September 30. The Field of Honor runs November 9 through 13 at Jewett Park, with the theme "Honoring Our Veterans" and free admission. The Deerfield Park District's event listing puts it at the Jewett Park Community Center, 836 Jewett Park Drive, and lists it as an all-day event.
Patch reported on October 12 that the Village presents the event and the Deerfield Police Department hosts it. Partners include the Park District, Public Works, the Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Department, the Deerfield Public Library and the local American Legion.
Here is how this year compares with last year, based on the Village's own notices:
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | November 7–11 | November 9–13 |
| Days of the week | Friday through Tuesday | Monday through Friday |
| Flags announced | 500 | 600 |
| Beneficiaries | Lake County Honor Flight, Midwest Veterans Closet | Lake County Honor Flight, Midwest Veterans Closet |
Two of those rows matter for planning a visit.
First, the calendar. Last year's display ran over a Saturday and Sunday. This year's runs Monday to Friday, with Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, in the middle. Families who walked the field on a weekend last fall will need a weekday this time. That might be an after-school stop, a lunch-hour detour or a walk timed around the Veterans Day holiday.
Second, the flag count. The Village notice and Patch both say 600 flags. The Colonial Flag Foundation's event page still says 500 for Deerfield's 2026 display. The Village is the presenter, so its figure is the one to rely on. If the 600 holds, that is a hundred more flags than last year, and a hundred more chances for the ledger to grow.
How a $35 Flag Turns Into Help
Here is how the money moves.
- A resident dedicates a flag. The Park District sets the dedication at $35, made in the name of a veteran or a personal hero.
- The flag stands in the field. It flies at Jewett Park for all five days alongside the rest of the display.
- The flag goes home with the person who dedicated it. The Park District says the flag is yours to keep afterward, so the tribute leaves the park with you.
- Sponsors and donors add to the total. Patch reports that residents can donate any amount, and that sponsorships are available at $500, $1,000 and $1,500.
- The proceeds go to two organizations. In 2025 the Village reported equal donations to Lake County Honor Flight and Midwest Veterans Closet.
The fourth step carried a lot of weight last year. At the December meeting, Deputy Chief Brian Budny recognized the gold sponsors. They included the Deerfield American Legion post, Fortune Brands and the Police Department Citizens Police Academy. He also said the organizing committee met with schools, community organizations, the DBR Chamber and local media while building support.
Where the Money Lands: Midwest Veterans Closet
The first destination is a building on North Green Bay Road in North Chicago. Midwest Veterans Closet serves veterans, active-duty military and their families with free groceries and donated clothing and household goods. Its facility is at 1720 N. Green Bay Road.
The organization is newer to that building than many Deerfield residents might guess. By its own account, it has served veterans since 2014. It broke ground on a new facility in 2024 and moved into the 4,850-square-foot building in July 2025. That means the 2025 Field of Honor donation went to an organization in its first months at its new address.
It stays busy this fall. The Closet held a Mobile Market grocery distribution in North Chicago on October 1, 2026. It has a Fall Festival planned at its North Chicago location on Saturday, October 24, two weeks before Deerfield's flags go up. Mary Carmody of Midwest Veterans Closet attended the December 2025 Village Board meeting to thank the Village and the people who took part.
Where the Money Lands: Lake County Honor Flight
The second destination ends up in Washington, D.C. Lake County Honor Flight takes veterans on multi-day trips to visit the national memorials, and it lists a North Chicago P.O. box as its address.
Its 2026 flight schedule lists missions on May 1–3, August 7–9 and October 2–4. That puts the most recent trip just weeks before this year's Field of Honor.
The four-veteran figure from last year comes from here. Lisa Madden of Lake County Honor Flight spoke at the same December meeting, and the minutes record that the donation would help send four veterans on Honor Flights. Put another way, the flags in Jewett Park last November turned into seats on a plane to the memorials.
Why the Village Brings This to Its Own Board Table
Plenty of towns host a flag display. Deerfield's version is unusual because it reports the results back in public. The December 2025 minutes record a video recap, the sponsor list, the total raised and the exact amount each charity would receive. Representatives of both organizations were there to receive the thanks. Mayor Shapiro called the video quite inspiring and said the event had been planned, coordinated and carried out very well.
That accounting is the most useful thing a resident can know before dedicating a flag. The money isn't vague. Last year it reached two organizations in Lake County, in equal shares, with a stated outcome attached.
What the Official Listings Don't Say Yet
As of October 12, the 2026 listings from the Village, the Park District and the Colonial Flag Foundation leave several practical questions open:
- A deadline for dedicating a flag
- When and where dedicated flags can be picked up after November 13
- Any opening, closing or Veterans Day ceremony times
- Whether the field will be lit for evening visits
- Volunteer shift times
The Park District lists three volunteer roles: setup, daily operations and teardown. Sign-ups run through the volunteer page linked from the Colonial Flag Foundation event listing. If you plan to dedicate a flag for a specific person, contact the Park District well before November 9 so you don't miss a cutoff that hasn't been announced. Watch the Village's news page as the week gets closer.
From the window over the community center lot, the field will look the way it did last year, only larger. The part that lasts happens later, in the grocery aisles on North Green Bay Road and on Lake County Honor Flight's future missions.
If you're thinking about what your own home on these streets might be worth, Nicole Fabiano is glad to help. Request a complimentary home valuation, and we'll talk through it with the same care this community puts into the field at Jewett Park.
