Area Little Stores fundraising for honor flights for WWII vets

• Area Little Stores

Duluth-area Little Stores have been selling American flags to raise money to fill a Northland Honor Flight this May with World War II veterans. Pictured above from left to right are Lindsey Lindberg, West End Little Store manager; Linda O'Hehir, Spirit Valley Little Store manager; Judy Greske, Honor Flight Northland co-chair; Jen Fisher, Grand Avenue Little Store manager; and Theresa Springer, Gary Little Store manager. Submitted photo

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Duluth-area Little Stores has kicked off a company-wide fundraising event called “Let’s Fill the Plane!” to provide seats for Northland military veterans on an Honor Flight May 15. The goal is to raise enough funds to allow at least 30 veterans to ride on the plane, at a cost of $600 per passenger.

The flights are being organized by the Honor Flight Network, a nonprofit organization that seeks to honor American veterans for their service. The Honor Flight will travel to Washington, D.C., where veterans will get the chance to see the various memorials honoring them.

Judy Greske, co-chair of the Northland’s Honor Flight, said each plane can accommodate around 160 people, which includes 100 veterans and 60 support staff. More than 180 veterans have already applied to make the Honor Flight in May.

Priority on the flight is given to senior veterans from World War II and veterans who may be terminally ill.

“The opportunity to honor our World War II vets is slipping away, so we need to act quickly and seize the moment while we still can,” said Mike McKinney of Little Stores.

Seventeen company-owned Little Stores have set their own individual goals for the “Let’s Fill the Plane!” event. Four Duluth-area stores are hoping to contribute funds for at least 12 flights to Washington, D.C.

Currently, the stores are selling American flags ranging in cost from $1 to $10 to raise funds for the Honor Flights. In March, several local Little Stores will host Honor Flight silent auction events.

Starting at the beginning of February, customers can purchase Little Store Honor Flight Cards, which offer discounts on gas, coffee, and more. The proceeds will benefit the Honor Flights.

Little Stores is a locally owned chain of convenience stores located throughout Northern Minnesota as well as Superior, Wis. During the past year, Little Stores have raised funds for several events.

Last summer, during its 40th anniversary, Little Stores collected $11,000 that was donated to a variety of causes. Of that, $3,600 went to Young Survivors Coalition Tour de Pink, and $2,800 was given to the Friends of Animals. During November and December, the stores raised $4,500 for the ALS Blizzard Tour.

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