Little Stores raises $18,000 to honor vets

During the recently completed “Let’s Fill the Plane” fundraising drive, area Little Stores collected $18,000 to provide seats for Northland military veterans on the Honor Flight, which departed Duluth on May 15.

At a cost of $600 per seat, it enabled 30 vets to make the trip.

Flights are organized by the Honor Flight Network, a non-profit organization created to honor American veterans for their sacrifices.

The destination is Washington, D.C., where they visit and reflect on the memorials honoring their heroism. Priority is given to senior veterans from WWII along with older veterans who may be terminally ill.

According to Judy Greske, co-chair of Honor Flight Northland, the May flight included 85 WWII veterans and 77 support staff consisting of volunteer guardians and medical personnel. Two future flights are tentatively scheduled for this fall in September and October, provided they can find businesses and individuals willing to help underwrite them.

The Little Stores is a locally-owned chain of 20 grocery-snack-convenience stores located in northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. Eighteen are company-owned and two are franchises.

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