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| Piedmont Advantage Credit Union Charlotte-Area Branch Supervisor Phil Melton (in red shirt) went to Washington, DC last month with his father Crawford (at right), who served in the Navy during World War II. The credit union will participate in the Triad Flight of Honor October 15th. |
Staff and members at Piedmont Advantage Credit Union capped a wildly successful fundraising drive in support of the Flight of Honor scheduled to depart from Greensboro this Saturday, October 15th. Far surpassing their original goal, the credit union raised more than $6,500 in April & May – enough to send 13 veterans to Washington, DC.
“Piedmont Advantage is proud to support the Flight of Honor program,” said Piedmont Advantage President/CEO Judy Tharp “and, in a small way, thank our veterans for their sacrifices during World War II and the Korean Conflict.” Tharp noted that the credit union originally set a goal of sponsoring three veterans, but the staff and members “really worked hard and gave generously in order to send as many people as they possibly could.”
The Flight of Honor program honors veterans who fought in past wars. Participants are paired with a volunteer and fly to Washington, DC for a day of fellowship and to tour the war memorials. Originally started to honor WWII veterans exclusively, the Triad Flight of Honor program now includes veterans of the Korean Conflict over the age of 75 as well.
The Triad Flight of Honor takes place Saturday, October 15th, departing from PTIA at 8:30 a.m., returning at 8:30 p.m. that evening. In addition to the sponsorships, Piedmont Advantage staff members will accompany veterans on the flight, serving as volunteer guardians who will ensure that the heroes’ needs are met throughout the day. Piedmont Advantage also sponsored seats on the Charlotte flight on September 17th. Personal invitations to attend were extended to our local Representatives.
Credit union staff held a variety of fundraisers during April and May to raise the funds, including selling Bojangles gift cards. “It was an all-hands-on-deck type of effort and a lot of people combined forces to raise the funds,” said Tharp.