Student artwork from Hawai'i will be stitched into a quilt exhibit set to travel across the nation to promote patriotism through the arts.

Fourteen entries from Keone'ula Elementary were selected for the 2007 "Flags of Freedom," coordinated by North Carolina-based Flags Across The Nation. The quilt will be made in August and displayed in Hawai'i, North Carolina, Virginia and California this year.

The school's quilt contribution will join more than 20 others for the 2007 traveling exhibit, which is expected to be the largest display put together since the contest started five years ago, said Flags founder Eileen Schwartz. This year marks the first time Hawai'i has participated in the program.

More than 400 students in kindergarten through sixth grade from the 'Ewa school entered their artwork based on themes of liberty, patriotism and freedom in a schoolwide contest. All submitted artwork, including the winning entries, will be sent to soldiers in Iraq in the form of a poster.

The troops include those from the 25th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron, based at Wheeler Army Airfield, and the "Flying Tigers," a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter squadron based in Japan.

"I wanted to encourage soldiers to fight better and not give up," third-grader Christopher Ledesma said last week after an awards assembly. Ledesma and the other student winners received books featuring their artwork and gift certificates.

Ledesma's artwork included three soldiers posted around his family — placed atop a map of the United States. Under the illustration he wrote: "Thank you for protecting our family."

"I drew it for my daddy," he said. Ledesma's father was deployed to South Korea last year. Deployments affect about 40 percent of the more than 500 students enrolled at the school, according to principal Eileen Hirota.

The student artwork will be printed on fabric and sent to volunteer quiltmakers, possibly from Hawai'i. Quilt construction is expected to take about one month.

Haseko (Hawaii) Inc., developers of the nearby Ocean Pointe housing community, sponsored the school's contest. Haseko staff judged the artwork and will send them to the Flags Across The Nation office.

"It was really hard to judge," said Lisa Enanoria, Haseko community relations coordinator. "There were a lot of cute ones."

Haseko built the 12-acre Keone'ula Elementary campus on Kaileole'a Drive early last year. In January, more than 500 students moved from 'Ewa Beach Elementary to the new school.

Flags Across The Nation, established in 2001, creates opportunities for children and adults to support troops and veterans through programs demonstrating patriotism.

"It's exciting because it feels like our organization is stretching and encompassing more people," Schwartz said.

"Usually we only have one or two teachers who enter their students' work," she said, "but this is an entire school entering their stuff."

After the Sept. 11 attacks, Schwartz photographed patriotic images in San Diego and displayed them in an exhibit. California photographers contributed their photos, which grew into 22 exhibits the following year.

The exhibit at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina is one of 55 nationwide of art, quilts, wall hangings and photos. It will be displayed until September. Exhibit items will be donated to veterans medical centers.

Flags is affiliated with the federal program America Supports You and several veterans groups, including the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.