MARION, Ill. (WSIL) -- Camping World is known for its RVs, but also its commitment to displaying American pride.
Visitors at the Marion location won't miss the large 40' x 80' American flag sitting on a 130-foot flagpole in front of the store.
Retail sales manager Aaron Berry says all of Camping World's locations have the same flag and flagpole setup. The company pays around $90,000 to install the flagpole and $3,800 for each flag, Berry says.
"It's kind of hard to tell from the ground but each one of those stripes is approximately the height of one that you'd probably see at someone's house," Berry said.
The standard flag size is 3' x 5' according to Berry. Doing the math, about 200 of those flags can fit into the large flag.
The red, white and blue beast takes an army of workers to take down. Berry says it takes about 12 to 15 workers to take down the flag and about 15 minutes to bring down, fold and put away.
The enormous flag is only taken down during calm weather conditions, Berry says. Trying to take the flag down during inclement weather, specifically high winds, could be dangerous.
"It's armfuls. Everybody's just trying to get a hold of it and keep it off the ground," Berry said. "That flag, if a good gust of wind comes by, will pick somebody off the ground and put them down on the ground somewhere else from where they started."
It's not easy to tame Old Glory, especially one as big as the one at Camping World, but Berry says it's something everyone can admire from all walks of life.
"A lot of people have family members or know veterans personally," Berry said. "[To] a lot of people, the flag can just symbolize just freedom and why they came to this country."