04-04-2025
Midwest Honor Flight close to achieving goal for June 3 flight
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Midwest Honor Flight is one step closer to making sure that 85 veterans are flown out to the nation's capital for the first time since 2010.
'We've come a long way since the beginning, and we're just so grateful for the support that we received,' Midwest Honor Flight CEO Aaron Van Beek said. 'We've got some events and such coming up as well that will help support that flight.'
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The nonprofit sends military veterans to Washington D.C. to visit military memorials. The organization is looking to raise $200,000 and is still shy on that goal, but Van Beek says they're getting closer to achieving it every day.
'We're currently sitting at about 145,000 out of 200,000,' he said. 'We've gotten some great support from MRHD for a grant. We've had some local regions and communities that have put on fundraisers for us. Redeemer Lutheran Church has been a big help with raising over $30,000 as well, and some donations in grants through the Siouxland Community Foundation as well.'
Van Beek says that departing from Sioux City is not the cheapest option, but they're determined to make it happen.
'A lot of factors go into the charter department, but I think the biggest reason is there's no American Airlines, is who we charter with. There's no operations in the Sioux City airport for American Airlines,' Van Beek said. 'So having them hired out is a big reason for that cost. It's going to happen one way or another. We're still going to make it happen.'
Van Beek says some of the 85 veterans who are flying out have been waiting for this moment for years.
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'Some of these veterans have been waiting two, three years for the opportunity and they all signed up not knowing that there'd be a flight out of Sioux City either,' he said. 'So very neat opportunity for them. All 85 will be from the Woodbury County and surrounding county area, so it'll really have that local feel to this flight specifically.'
The flight payment deadline for the June 3 flight is on May 1. Anyone interested in donating can do so by .
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