Ryan Sawtelle envisioned his Waves of Flags at Pepperdine University as an impressive 9/11 memorial, but he never imagined how impactful it would be until that first morning in 2008.
“I saw the flurry of people walking through it. I even received a message from an individual in New York City, who had a family member perish in the attacks. He heard about the memorial and flew out to visit it in honor of his family member. That was very meaningful to me,” Sawtelle, who was a student at Pepperdine, said.
With support from private donors, friends and much creative maneuvering, Sawtelle finally received approval from the university’s administrators to hire a civil engineer and create a grid for the nearly 3,000 flags, along with a flag representing each country that lost lives.
The Waves of Flags’ powerful message inspires people to stop driving along PCH to admire and respect what it stands for. Every year, Malibu residents and visitors witness the power of what has become a moving and rich tradition.
Sawtelle now lives in Woodland Hills, where he runs the White Heart Foundation, a charity he set up to help injured veterans receive the care they need when the government falls short. “One hundred percent of the donations go to help an injured warrior on our network, or to our post-traumatic stress relief program,” he said.
Running the operation between acting gigs, Sawtelle said winning a Dolphin Award was an unexpected bonus.
“Those of us who enter the nonprofit industry don’t do it for recognition, so the award was a pleasant surprise and much appreciated,” he said.
For more information, visit whiteheart.org.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the source of financial support for the Waves of Flags. The story has been updated to include correct information.