By Dan Spalding
News Now Waraw
WARSAW — It costs $140,000 for every Honor Flight that shuttles 85 veterans and their guardians to Washington DC, to see the memorials built in their honor.
As a result, supporters of Honor Flight Northeast Indiana spend a lot of time fundraising to cover the cost of five flights they provide each year, which originate from Fort Wayne International Airport.
On Monday, the group received an $18,250 donation from Lucky 7 Car Store in Warsaw, after storeowners Travis and Amanda Dice chose to donate $250 from each car sale during November.
Travis Dice said they like to support various benefits, but took it to another level for veterans.
“We got a lot of support from the community, and everybody was excited to be purchasing their vehicle knowing we were making that donation for them on their behalf,” Travis said.
The demand among veterans to participate in Honor Flights has remained strong since the national program was established in 2004.
Honor Flight Northeast Indiana is one of 133 Honor Flight hubs across the country.
“We’re always fundraising. We’re always taking donations,” said Michael Thena, a board member for Honor Flight Northeast Indiana, who accepted the donation Monday afternoon.
“Our waiting list is almost three years long right now — and that’s just Vietnam veterans,” Thena said.
To learn more about the program, click here.
