ROME, Ga.–Coosa Valley Credit Union here is working to replace all tattered and worn American flags in the three counties it serves in time for Independence Day.
Through July 4, the credit union said it is on the lookout for worn flags that need replacement, and is also asking for the public’s help in identifying the flags.
AVP Robert Smyth told the Northwest Georgia News that the credit union has replaced more than 100 flags over the past two years.
Smyth told the Northwest Georgia News that he was at a convenience store one day a couple of years ago and noticed the flag at a neighboring business was faded almost beyond recognition. “It hit me,” he said. “I wondered what it would cost to replace that flag. Turns out the cost isn’t huge.”
According to Smyth, the average three-by-five-foot flag, bought in bulk, is about $40. Smyth said the project may have cost the credit union as much as $2,000 in each of the past two years.
“This is one of our favorite yearly projects, but we need the public’s help,” Smyth said in a press release. “We will replace that flag (up to a six-foot by 10-foot size) absolutely free.”
Smyth said CVCU also works with the Exchange Club of Rome and local veterans groups to properly dispose of the old flags.