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Sunflowers sit in a field at the Rockfish Valley Ruritan Park to show support for Ukraine on Friday, March 18, 2022.

The sign encouraging people to put a sunflower for Ukraine in the field at the Rockfish Valley Ruritan Park on Friday, March 18, 2022.

Drivers on Rockfish Valley Highway these days might spy flashes of yellow in the Rockfish Valley Ruritan Park.

Two marquees along the road encourage community members: “Put a sunflower in our field for Ukraine.”

Lovingston-Rockfish Ruritan Club and Rockfish Valley Ruritan Park Foundation Treasurer Ed Hicks said the artificial sunflowers he originally planted in the field have been joined by a sunflower garden flag and other yard ornaments.

“I was thinking, ‘well, what can we do?’ The sunflower is their national flower. We’ve got this big park out there with all this land. We can do something for them,” Hicks said.

Hicks has been a Ruritan since 1987 and has served as lieutenant governor and governor of the Woodrow Wilson District, of which the Lovingston-Rockfish Ruritans Club is a member. He said the Lovingston-Rockfish Ruritan Club hasn’t done a project like this before and typically holds fundraisers to support the community.

Hicks said the Lovingston-Rockfish Ruritans held a car show last September to repeat annually, sell grilled chicken and assisted the Rockfish Valley Volunteer Fire Department with their Fireman’s Carnival.

“All of our money goes back into the community where there’s needs,” Hicks said

Proceeds from the Ruritans’ fundraising go towards scholarships for Nelson High School seniors and dictionaries for third graders across the county.

“Fellowship, goodwill and community service is our motto for Ruritans. So that’s what we’re there for: to provide service to our communities where they have needs,” Hicks said.

Of the sunflowers, he said: “I hope they just keep adding and adding, we’ve got over 22 acres out there.”

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Sunflowers sit in a field at the Rockfish Valley Ruritan Park to show support for Ukraine on Friday, March 18, 2022.

The sign encouraging people to put a sunflower for Ukraine in the field at the Rockfish Valley Ruritan Park on Friday, March 18, 2022.

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