The Crookston Masonic Lodge presented a check for $35,321 to the Veterans Honor Flight of North Dakota & Minnesota. The money was raised at the Masonic Lodge’s free-will breakfast on May 21, along with a donation from Minnesota Masonic Charities.
The Honor Flight sponsors trips for any U.S. veteran who was in service before 1975. The trips are to Washington, D.C., and are free of cost for veterans wanting to attend. Those who attend can expect transportation/hotel accommodations, food/beverages, tours of Washington, D.C. monuments, and a homecoming to honor the veterans who went on the trip.
The Honor Flight program means a lot to those involved. A notable ambassador for the Honor Flight of North Dakota & Minnesota is Don Roberts, who was in the Marine Corps for roughly 20 years and served 30 months overseas. He had previously gone on an Honor Flight eight years before becoming an ambassador to the program. “So far, we’ve got over $100,000 just out of the northern region. I’m going to Bemidji on Sunday and going up to Roseau next week. We try to go every place and talk to people so they understand what the Honor Flight is,” said Roberts. “We got a lot of vets that do not know anything about it. The only thing we need to know is if you served before 1975, you’re eligible to go, and if you need a doctor or someone to push you in a wheelchair, we’ll take care of it, but get signed up.”
The sponsors that helped with fundraising for Honor Flight of ND/MN are as follows- Christian Cars Online, Mason Lodge 141, VFW Local 1902, DAV Local 14, and American Legion Local 20.
Other notable support groups for Honor Flight of ND/MN are- Don & Betty Roberts, Ye Ole Print Shoppe Inc., Order of Eastern Star 137, VFW Auxiliary Post 1902, American Legion Auxiliary 20, and DAV Auxiliary Local 14.
