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A local store is combining disc golf holes with a fundraiser involving American flags.

Pecan City Disc Golf Shop is hosting a disc golf tournament in Seguin, bringing hundreds of competitors from across the country and as far away as Denmark. Proceeds will help the Guadalupe County Field of Honor with its annual planting of flags, Field of Honor chairperson Connie Ramirez said.

“That money is going back to help pay for the flags,” she said. “Anything after this, we will be able to cut a check to our beneficiary, which is the American Legion Post 245 in Seguin.”

Field of Honor places hundreds of flags annually in a field next to Faith Lutheran Church. Each flag represents a local hero and has a name of a local veteran, first responder, teacher or frontline worker attached to it.

The flags symbolize a lot to the organization and to the people who sponsor flags and have them placed in the field, Ramirez said.

“It’s not only a flag in the field, it’s a life,” she said. “This is a person who is serving our country or has served our country in some way.”

Hosting the tournament allows Pecan City Disc Golf Shop’s owners to highlight the sport of disc golf while also helping a worthwhile charitable organization, said Jericho Lomas, who owns the shop with his father.

“When we first dreamt of opening Pecan Disc Golf Shop, one of our values we wanted to focus on was giving back to our community,” he said. “This tournament is a great way to partner with our city and Humana to raise money for a local veteran organization.”

The city of Seguin is a co-sponsor and Humana is the title sponsor for the tournament, which will include 170 competitors including about 20 local professional disc golfers and two from Denmark. Amateurs will tee off alongside the pros in the tournament, Lomas said.

It will be his shop’s first sanctioned disc golf tournament in Seguin, Lomas said. So far, things look pretty promising with all the slots filled, he said.

“Through sponsorship money, I think we already raised over $8,000,” Lomas said. “The majority of that is going to go to the Field of Honor and what they do. That was the goal to try to get all their fundraiser money with just this one tournament versus having other fundraisers. The goal was knock it all out in one. Any extra funds will go to support the American Legion Post 245.”

The Pecan City Classic is set for 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. March 26 to 27 at the disc golf course in Max Starcke Park East. The community is invited to watch the players compete during the two-day tournament. Market Days also will take place during the tournament with more than 25 local businesses and vendors set up under the Patricia K. Irvine-King Pavilion in Starcke Park East. Spectators can browse and shop 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.

“The Seguin Visitor Center has enjoyed working with the tournament organizers on bringing this event to Seguin,” said Kyle Kramm, Main Street & Convention and Visitors Bureau director. “Hosting these tournaments and events benefits Seguin in many ways, from increasing sales at restaurants to providing awareness about a growing sport in our community. It makes a tremendous impact on Seguin.”

The group plans to set up a miniature Field of Honor for which community members may buy flags for the full-scale Field of Honor.

This year’s Field of Honor will have more than 1,000 United States flags on display July 2 to July 9 at Faith Lutheran Church, 1326 E. Cedar. Flag sponsors are allowed to take home their flags after the event.

Field of Honor brings together community members to honor heroes in a meaningful way, Ramirez said.

“Throughout the event, we have speakers that come out and just tell about (their) flag, (their) person that’s out there,” she said. “Over the years, we’ve heard amazing stories. We have people from other towns that come out every evening and just sit out there and look at the display then talk about the time they served. There are some amazing people in this community.”

To help make it a rousing success, community members can participate in the disc golf tournament and events surrounding the tournament. Every bit will help make a difference, Ramirez said.

“We just hope we get a good turnout from the community,” she said. “We’re all intertwined and if there’s any way we can help each other out, that’s what we’re asking for.”