TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It's a new month, but a familiar nonprofit for our KGUN 9 Giving Project. For the second straight June, we're focusing on Honor Flight Southern Arizona.
They again need our help taking our veterans to Washington, D.C to tour the memorials dedicated to their service.
It's an Honor Flight that almost didn't take off.
"It was a big part of us being able to take last year's flight," said Honor Flight Southern Arizona's Ed Dunlap, referring to our 2024 KGUN 9 Giving Project for the organization.
Thanks to our generous viewers, we raised nearly $11,000, helping the 34th Honor Flight get off the ground. Veterans on that flight received a hero's welcome home last November, as a group of 25 veterans returned from an Honor Flight to our nation's capital:
"I'm not an emotional person but this is more emotion than I've ever had, I think. It's just unbelievable. You can't describe it."
Vietnam Veteran John Rhodes spoke with me after landing at Tucson International Airport on that 34th Honor Flight. During his trip, he was able to visit the Vietnam Memorial, among others.
Like for all veterans, his Honor Flight was free, with all of the funds to pay for the trip coming from grants and donations.
The next Honor Flight is set to leave Tucson Nov. 1 with 25 veterans and their 25 guardians on a single commercial flight. But Dunlap says his goal is to raise enough funds to book a charter flight instead.
"If we can do a charter we can take three times the amount of veterans on one flight, and that's what we're shooting for," Dunlap said.
The need has never been greater for Honor Flight Southern Arizona. The nonprofit's lengthy waiting list includes two World War II veterans and 16 Korean War vets—so time is of the essence.
"Our current waiting list right now is about 350. So, if you take 75 off it, it takes a big chunk out of the list as opposed to just taking 25," Dunlap explained. "That's our goal, to get everybody on the list."
If you'd like to help Honor Flight Southern Arizona take 75 veterans to Washington this November, you can do so directly through their website, honorflightsaz.org.
Our partners in the Giving Project, the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona will again match the first $500 in donations.
WATCH | The 34th Honor Flight Southern Arizona touches down at TIA
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Pat Parris is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. He is a graduate of Sabino High School where he was the 1982 high school state track champion in the 800 meters. While in high school and college, he worked part-time in the KGUN 9 newsroom. Share your story ideas and important issues with Pat by emailing pat.parris@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
