SW Minn. Honor Flight nears goal

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LUVERNE — The flight has now been booked, and the dates are soon to be announced for the Southwest Minnesota Honor Flight, which will take the area’s World War II veterans to see their memorial in Washington, D.C.

Sponsorships and donations continue to pour in, and numerous fundraisers are planned in the coming weeks to help raise the $136,000 needed to take the veterans, free of charge, on a two-day journey to the nation’s capitol city.

On Thursday, Southwest Minnesota Honor Flight executive committee member Jane Wildung Lanphere said more than $115,000 has been raised in Rock, Nobles, Pipestone and Murray counties for the flight.

World War II veterans continue to submit applications, but Lanphere said the committee hasn’t reached its goal of 140 to 150 veterans for the trip.

“We’re expecting to get a flood of applications after the date is announced,” she said, adding that a similar scenario has happened on Honor Flights organized by South Dakota.

In Nobles County, executive committee member Darlene Macklin said several applications have been received from World War II veterans.

“For a veteran, there is no cost for them to attend (Honor Flight,” said Macklin. “We encourage veterans from World War II to pick up an application at the Chamber of Commerce office, or we can mail one out to them.

“We know there are still veterans out there who have not applied,” she added.

“We want to include everybody,” said Lanphere. “All of us (on the executive committee) are trying to work and find veterans that are out there, to make sure they have been invited.

“I would encourage any veteran … to have their name on the list so they have the opportunity when the time comes,” she added.

At the same time, the committee is encouraging people to apply to be a guardian. The guardians must be able to perform heavy lifting and assist the veterans throughout the journey. All guardians will be required to pay their own airfare, motel and meals on the trip.

Macklin said there are 40 spots open for guardians, and not everyone who applies will get to go. There will be a selection process, and all applications will be looked at, she said.

All vets welcome

Though Southwest Minnesota Honor Flight consists of just four counties, Lanphere said they are accepting applications from World War II veterans from Jackson and Cottonwood counties, as well as points farther north, including Tracy and Marshall.

“It doesn’t matter where you’re from, we just want to make sure people get an opportunity to go,” said Lanphere.

When the group originally formed, she said they anticipated contacting other counties to inquire about helping with the fundraising.

“We never believed it would happen this quickly,” she said of the money that has been raised thus far. “That (Deep Freeze Dip) from Nobles County, that just blew us all away.”

Fundraisers set

The Elks Lodge in Worthington will host a Southwest Minnesota Honor Flight fundraiser this evening, serving a pulled pork sandwich meal for a free-will offering. The event will include music performed by Lonnie Carpenter, and is planned from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The Pizza Ranch in Luverne is also planning a Tip Night for Honor Flight fundraiser on March 8; and the Eagles Club in Luverne will host a steak fry on March 20 to help raise funds for the flight, said Lanphere.

“I know that there are fundraisers going on in Pipestone County as well,” she added. “It’s certainly not too late (to raise funds).”

Lanphere said the money collected will only be spent on getting veterans from southwest Minnesota to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial.

Southwest Minnesota Honor Flight buttons are still available as well, with all proceeds from button sales to help fund the trip. The buttons are available at several places in each of the counties.

It isn’t just money that has been donated for Southwest Minnesota Honor Flight. A week ago, Reading Bus Lines stepped forward and volunteered to provide transportation for the veterans and guardians to and from the airport in Sioux Falls, S.D. They will pick up and drop off the veterans in the hub communities of Slayton, Worthington, Luverne and Pipestone, said Lanphere.

“What a wonderful gift,” she added. “It’s just another unexpected gift people have given.”

For more information on buttons or fundraising, contact Lanphere at (507) 283-4061; or Macklin at 372-2919.

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