Honor Flight West Central Florida Gets $10k Donation From Progress Energy

Posted Jan 25, 2012 by Howard Altman

Updated Jan 25, 2012 at 09:51 PM

As a history buff, I can never hear enough about WWII. With the generation who fought that war dying off quickly, I try to take any opportunity I get to talk to the folks who lived through it.

Which led me to Honor Flight West Central Florida, an organization that began taking local WWII vets for free to the WWII Memorial in Washington. In four flights, costing about $55,000 each, the foundation took 241 vets last year and hopes to take even more this year.

But it costs money.

The organization recently received a $10,000 donation from Progress Energy to help, making the company the primary sponsor of the first Honor Flight of 2012, scheduled for early April.

Vincent M. Dolan, president and chief executive officer of Progress Energy Florida, said, “We are proud to support Honor Flight with this charitable contribution, a fitting tribute to the more than 32,000 World War II veterans living in Progress Energy’s Florida’s service area.”

Organizers say that this year, Honor Flight of West Central Florida hopes to make eight flights during their April – October flying season. 

WWII veterans, and individuals who would like to be guardians for these senior heroes, to apply at www.honorflightwcf.org. For more information, call Dick Koch, Lt. Colonel, USAF (Ret.), 727-522-5676 (h); 727-480-7112 (c).