Country club donates money to fly veterans to nation's capital

To honor living veterans of World War II and other wars, Crown Point Country Club donated $1,000 on Tuesday, July 12 that was raised during an event to Honor Flight New England (HFNE), a nonprofit group that pays for veterans to visit Washington DC to see the memorials constructed to honor their service.

   

Country club donates money to fly veterans to nation's capital By Cameron Paquette cameronp@eagletimes.com Honor Flight New England Founder Joe Byron (left) accepts a check for $1,000 from Crown Point Country Club President Peter Annis. — CAMERON PAQUETTE Honor Flight New England Founder Joe Byron (left) accepts a check for $1,000 from Crown Point Country Club President Peter Annis. — CAMERON PAQUETTE SPRINGFIELD — To honor living veterans of World War II and other wars, Crown Point Country Club donated $1,000 on Tuesday, July 12 that was raised during an event to Honor Flight New England (HFNE), a nonprofit group that pays for veterans to visit Washington DC to see the memorials constructed to honor their service. "It's a wonderful organization that deserves all the help it can get," said club president Peter Annis. The funds were raised through a 50/50 raffle the club held during a fireworks celebration on Saturday, July 2. According to HFNE founder Joe Byron, the New England chapter is one of 130 chapters nationwide, and has transported 1,532 veterans to the capital since the chapter's founding in 2009. Based in Ohio, the Honor Flight Network was founded in 2004. The Honor Flight Network website currently has 21,032 veterans on its wait list, with 20,886 flown last year. Of the 16 million veterans who served in World War II, 855,070 are still alive, and they are dying off at a rate of about 492 per day, according to statistics released by the Veteran's Administration. According to the website, the organization wants to honor as many veterans in this way as possible because "our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out." As a nonprofit, the organiztion makes all of the money needed to send veterans to the capital through corporate sponsorship and private donations. Byron said the cost for one veteran is typically around $600. The chapter is looking to send roughly 265 veterans to the capital this year. "We've been incredibly fortunate," Byron said. Annis' father, 96-year-old John Auty, was flown by the organiztion to Washington along with Annis' brother-in-law last year. "I was personally touched by [this organization]," he said.