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Donations Still Being Accepted to Help WWII Vets Visit Memorial in Washington
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WRAL-TV has supported numerous causes over the years, but some of our most important, effective efforts have been in partnership with others. In keeping with WRAL-TV’s goal of providing a genuine public service to our community, the station continues our team up with the Flight of Honor, an organization that provides WWII veterans with a free flight to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials created in their honor.
“The station has embraced this project to support our WWII veterans and our viewers have generously responded with financial support,” explained WRAL-TV Community Affairs Director Loretta Harper-Arnold. “News had done an outstanding job sharing the stories of these heroes. It’s a wonderful station effort.”
To support the first flight on October 7, 2010, WRAL-TV hosted a telethon. The Big 5 recently held a second telethon on Tuesday, March 29, 2011, to support upcoming spring flights. The two -hour phone bank, staffed by volunteers from NCADA (Dealers’ Association and flight guardians), took nearly 700 phone calls. Between the phones and the web, donations totalled more than $47,000.
Capitol Broadcasting will be sending staffers along on the next flight, scheduled for Wednesday, April 6th. WRAL-TV VP & GM Steve Hammel will join WRAL-TV Anchor David Crabtree and WRAL-FM Morning Co-Host Lynda Loveland in traveling with the group. WRAL-TV Meteorologist Mike Moss will be going as a guardian; Moss himself was in the Air Force and continues in the Air Force Reserves.
Veterans do not pay the $500 cost for their seat. Instead, they are either sponsored by specific fund-raising projects, or they apply for general admission, and public donations are used to support the remaining expense of each flight.
Donations are still being accepted online or visit any Triangle area Bank of America branch.
WRAL-TV also recognized the WWII veterans with a documentary called “Stories of Honor.” Find out more & watch here.
Three Triangle Flight of Honor trips are scheduled for this spring: April 6th, April 19th & May 4th.
Thanks to WRAL-TV’s Loretta Harper-Arnold for contributions for this capcom story & to WRAL.com for this capcom graphic.
