Honor Flight Northeast Indiana (HFNEI) will make its 21st flight to Washington D.C. on Thursday, September 22nd.
This flight marks the first of two fall flights that will have been totally funded by Paulding Putnam Electric Coop (PPEC) who raised more than $150,000 this year for HFNEI. Their fundraising efforts began in January of this year and included the raffle of a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 4×4 Truck, community lunches and direct donations.
On the heels of PPEC’s contribution, this week HFNEI received a check for $65,000 from an anonymous donor processed through a national financial firm. Honor Flight President Dennis Covert states “Each Honor Flight from Fort Wayne costs approximately $70,000 and these generous donations will help Honor Flight Northeast Indiana continue its mission to safely transport veterans to Washington, D. C. to view their memorials. We always have a need for financial support as presently the veteran waiting list consists of over 400 Korea veterans and nearly 200 Vietnam veterans.”
Flight #21 currently consists of 38 WWII, 39 Korean and one Vietnam Veteran. There are five veterans who are dual war Veterans and one who is a triple war Veteran for a total of 84 Veterans. Included in these numbers are five WWII women Veterans.
The veterans and volunteer guardians will gather at the 122nd Air National Guard Fighter Wing at 6:00 a.m. with take-off projected to be at 8:30 a.m. Returning home, the community is encouraged to patriotically welcome the veterans in the Main Terminal of the Fort Wayne International Airport the evening of September 22nd. Return time is tentative, but expected to be at approximately 8:30 p.m. More information regarding the public’s participation and return timing will be shared on the group’s Facebook page at HFNEI.
95% of all donations go directly towards the veterans’ trips. Honor Flight NE Indiana, Inc. is a volunteer, nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. As of May 25, 2016, Honor Flight Northeast has transported 1380 veterans to Washington, D. C.
