To commemorate the sacrifices remembered on Memorial Day in May, owners of more than 65 Chicago area and Northwest Indiana Culver’s restaurants recently hosted a “Day of Giving.” Each Culver’s donated 10 percent of sales in support of Honor Flight organizations in Chicago, Lake County and McHenry County.
Today Gerri Chaplin and Jim Chaplin, owners of Culver’s of Aurora, located at 509 S. Route 59, arrived at the Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873 with a humongous greeting card with hundreds of signatures and good wishes to show that Culver’s Cares for veterans.
“This was our second year of hosting the ‘Day of Giving,'” said Gerri Chaplin. “We decorated the outside of the store with American flags that day; yet, all year we talk about the Honor Flight to our guests.
“We have found this to be a great community and we are always looking for ways to give back to our loyal guests,” Chaplin added. “Being involved with Honor Flights has been a truly rewarding experience. We will never be able to totally repay our debts to these great Americans.”
The total amount raised at Culver’s of Aurora was $5,880, noted Chaplin. The final tally for all participating Culver’s hubs serving Chicagoland was $110,326, exceeding the 2013 total of donations by 13 percent.
Honor Flight is a nonprofit group that escorts World War II veterans to the National World War II Memorial and other memorials in Washington, D.C. There is no cost to the veterans for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, recognizing World War II and Korean War veterans with a day of honor, remembrance and celebration from a grateful nation.
According to National World War II Museum statistics, approximately 600 World War II veterans die each day. When the war ended in August 1945, there were 16 million service members. Approximately 1.2 million veterans remain, with fewer than 25,000 residing in the Chicago area.
The cost to charter one plane for Honor Flight Chicago from Midway Airport to Washington, D.C., and back in one day is about $60,000. Local veterans organizations volunteer to help locate military men and women who served in World War II and the Korean War who will travel to Washington, all expenses paid. Guardians who travel with veterans pay approximately $500 each.
For more information, contact Bob Bohr at gbbobby@aol.com or to make a donation, visit Honor Flight Chicago.
