Local Kiwanis Club offers free American flag replacements for residents

ZANESVILLE, OH- Many Zanesville residents take pride in flying the American flag outside their homes but after years of wind and rain, those flags can become faded or torn. Now, a local service group is stepping up to make sure Old Glory always flies bright.

The Kiwanis Club of Zanesville has launched the Old Glory Project. The project is a new effort to replace worn 3-by-5 American flags for free. The group will not only deliver and install the new flags, but also ensure the old ones are properly retired through a ceremony with local Boy Scouts.

“We are starting the Old Glory Project, we have purchased several American Flags, three by fives with assistance from our friends at the Fraternal Order of Eagles who help fund the project, and we are going around the Zanesville community offering to replace old faded and worn flags that are displayed outside people’s homes with a brand new one, and then we will take the old flag and we partnered with Boy Scout Troop 128 who will do a retirement ceremony for the old flag,” said Kiwanis Club Secretary, Kevin Pinson.

Pinson says the idea came after a simple conversation that revealed a need in the community.

“I was actually approached at church by a lady who knew I was within Boy Scouts and said is there any organization that would replace a flag for a neighbor of mine, and I wasn’t aware of any program that existed, so we decided at Kiwanis to start one,” said Pinson.

Zanesville residents who already have a flag on display can request a free replacement by emailing zanesvillekiwanis@gmail.com. You must have an existing flagpole to qualify.