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WDAY WWII HONOR FLIGHT TO TAKE “BONUS” TRIP
Because of overwhelming support from
the community and sponsors the WDAY WWII Honor Flight will takeoff for a
4th time in the spring of 2008 in what’s described as a limited “bonus
trip.”
The trip will serve veterans who have already applied for the project,
but remained on the waiting list following the completion of the 3rd
flight in November of 2007.
“We were overwhelmed with applications,” said Tracy Briggs, Honor Flight
Project Coordinator. “We expected the project to serve about 300
veterans over the course of a year. Instead 750 WWII veterans throughout
the tri-state area applied for the flights.” The completed project from
start to finish will be about a year and a half. (Planning started in
October 2006 and the projected end of the project will be May 2008). “We
served twice the number of veterans that we expected and our commitment
to the project was nearly twice as long as we planned,” said Briggs.
Because of the generosity of individuals, businesses and clubs
throughout the Dakotas and Minnesota about $475,000 dollars was raised
to send 586 WWII veterans on the first three flights to Washington to
see the memorial in May, September and November of 2007. Currently, the
Honor Flight committee estimates needing an additional $50,000 to
completely pay for a 4th flight. If you’d like set up a fundraiser prior
to sending a donation please contact Fundraising Chair Lance Akers at
(701) 238-9298. For a general donation send checks to “Honor Flight” 505
3rd Avenue North, Fargo, ND, 58102.
Again, no new applications for the WDAY WWII Honor Flight are being
taken at this time. If veterans are interested in getting their name
placed in the national data base for future honor flight trips being
organized throughout the country (including possible flights in
Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota) go to the national website for
an application at
www.honorflight.org or call 937-521-2400 to request an application.
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