Restoring the Stars and Stripes to the Skyline
By Xander Smith
For residents and visitors driving into Carson City, few sights are as iconic as the American flag perched high atop C-Hill. Visible from miles away, it has long served as a symbol of pride, resilience, and home. Yet like many of the landmarks that define a community, it exists today because someone cared enough to take the first step.
Carson City has a remarkable ability to rally around meaningful causes. Time and again, when a challenge appears, neighbors, volunteers, and local organizations step forward with energy and generosity. But every movement begins with one person willing to make the call, share the vision, and invite others to join. The restoration of the C-Hill flag is a powerful example of that spirit in action.
A recent interview with Lucia Maloney, President of the C-Hill Foundation and Mike Raponi, President of the Foundation for Carson City Parks and Recreation, highlights a remarkable community-led effort to restore this landmark in time for America’s 250th birthday.
The restoration of the C-Hill flag is a massive undertaking, both logistically and physically. Originally installed in 2001 following the events of the September 11 attacks, the flag consists of 390 massive panels. Each panel is an “aluminum sandwich” with a corrugated plastic core, measuring four by five feet. After 25 years of exposure to Nevada’s intense sun, wind, and snow, the panels began peeling and sections of the structure partially collapsed under heavy snow loads.
Lucia Maloney and the C-Hill Foundation stepped forward with a simple philosophy: “Someone needs to fix it—why not us?” On October 4, 2025, the foundation organized a monumental volunteer workday. More than 75 volunteers—including members of local high school ROTC programs, the Desert Pigs nonprofit organization, and area churches—descended on the steep slope.
The physical challenge was immense. Volunteers carried approximately 288 panels—light but awkward—nearly a quarter mile down the steep hillside to a staging area. A time-lapse video on the foundation’s website, https://carsonflagfoundation.com/, shows the workers moving across the hillside like tiny ants, carefully dismantling the massive flag piece by piece.
With nearly $40,000 raised for new American-made panels manufactured in Pennsylvania, the C-Hill Foundation is preparing for the final push in May to reinstall the flag before the Independence Day celebrations.
While the C-Hill Foundation provided the boots on the ground, the project’s success also relied on the fiduciary support of the Foundation for Carson City Parks and Recreation. By partnering with Mike Raponi’s organization, the project ensured that all community donations remained tax-deductible.
“We were essentially all over it,” Mike explained, noting how closely the project aligns with the foundation’s mission of improving public spaces throughout the city.
But the C-Hill flag is just one example of the work being done. Mike highlighted other projects supported by the foundation, including improvements at the Pete Livermore Sports Complex. Using a $39,000 gift from a disbanded soccer organization, the foundation funded new signage, bottle-filling stations, and updated equipment to improve the experience for local youth athletes.
The foundation also supports Carson City’s rapidly growing pickleball scene and is currently raising funds for massive 30-foot “garrison flags” to be installed at the north and south entrances to the city. Their role is to provide the financial structure and oversight that allows passionate community groups to turn ideas into reality.
The theme behind this collaboration is clear: when citizens take the lead, the community responds. From a neighbor baking 500 cookies for volunteers to local construction companies donating time to repair the flag’s steel girders, the spirit of Carson City is on full display.
The C-Hill Foundation is currently in its final $5,000 fundraising push for the flag’s maintenance. Those interested in helping can learn more or donate at https://carsonflagfoundation.com/ or through the Foundation for Carson City Parks and Recreation at https://carsoncityparks.org/.
As Lucia Maloney puts it, the first step is often the hardest—but it is also the one that makes everything else possible: “You just have to be brave and make the call.”