VIDALIA &8212; Just about everyone at Vidalia High School was tired of seeing old rubber tires hold up the American and Louisiana flags at special events.

So, they collected their change and replaced the tires with real flag stands.

They collected $454.49 in change to be exact, and it took the whole school.

Organized by the 10th-graders, each homeroom got a piggy bank and a challenge to fill it.

&8220;It&8217;s insulting to the flag to have a tire there,&8221; sophomore Stephanie Washington said. &8220;It&8217;s insulting to the country.&8221;

Most of the money came in small quantities, with only a few paper dollars dropped in, but did include a donation of 35 lbs. of pennies from the community.

The project started in early September, with a goal of having the new flag stand in place for Friday&8217;s Veteran&8217;s Day program.

&8220;Anytime we have a flag up, all I can ever remember is the tires,&8221; teacher Dorothy Ulmer said. &8220;At graduation, and especially at Veteran&8217;s Day, it&8217;s embarrassing.&8221;

The new stands will be engraved as a donation of the VHS classes of 2006 through 2009.

Once a homeroom filled their piggy bank they went to the office and yelled &8220;pig suey&8221; over the intercom.

The change was counted by Britton & Koontz Bank.

The students will put on the annual Veteran&8217;s Day ceremony Friday at 10 a.m. Local veterans are invited to attend, and the school will show a slide show. Students will perform and the gym will be decorated for the event.