By Jim Newton jnewton@stmediannetwork.com | @JimNewton5 April 28, 2014 5:40PM
Navy veteran Raymond Scott of Waukegan (left) and a World War II veteran talk at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., in April of 2012 during Exchange Club of North Chicago's "honor flight-type” trip. | Courtesy Lake County Honor Flight
If you go ...
‘Honor Flight’
7:30 p.m. May 16 at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. Tickets are available online at lakecountyhonorflight.org, and also will be sold at the Genesee Theatre beginning at 6 p.m. on May 16.
If you know a WWII veteran ...
Paula Carballido, program director for Lake County Honor Flight, said anyone who knows a veteran who would be eligible and interested for an honor flight trip may call Lake County Honor Flight at (847) 282-0374.
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Updated: April 29, 2014 2:28AM
The Genesee Theatre has drawn crowds with talents ranging from Bill Cosby and Jerry Seinfeld to Los Lobos, but a different kind of idol will be the featured attraction May 16.
In a fund-raising effort to send 11 local World War II veterans to visit their monument in Washington, D.C., Lake County Honor Flight will host a screening of the emotional feature film “Honor Flight” at the Genesee at 7:30 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session with local veterans.
Paula Carballido, program director for Lake County Honor Flight, said a coalition of local volunteers, starting with the Genesee — which is providing the venue free of charge — are helping to make the event fly.
“It’s going extremely well. We are getting a lot of support from members of the community in Lake County,” Carballido said. “Volunteers have been selling tickets. We have a blend of volunteers who each take a little piece of the project and make it successful.”
Lake County Honor Flight transports veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the monuments and memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices. Based in North Chicago, it is much smaller than Honor Flight Chicago, which serves the Chicago region including Lake County, but its reputation is spreading across the county, especially in the Waukegan Township and Gurnee areas, Carballido said.
Carballido said one of the nice things about being a smaller operation working with relatively fewer veterans is that the group can allow the vets to take longer trips to Washington, spending three days and two nights on each trip.
“We have smaller groups and it can make for an intimate trip,” Carballido said, adding that the additional time allows veterans and volunteers to get to know each other.
Organizers said the one-night-only screening of “Honor Flight” is a unique opportunity for Lake County residents, businesses and organizations to honor veterans of the country’s “Greatest Generation.”
“There is a true need and an urgency to give these heroes special recognition for the service they gave to our country and to the world,” said Tonja Hudson, Lake County Honor Flight fundraising chairperson.
Tickets to the “Honor Flight” movie are available online at lakecountyhonorflight.org, and will be sold at the Genesee Theatre beginning at 6 p.m. on May 16. There are also event sponsorship opportunities available online. All fundraising efforts go directly to veteran Honor Flight trips.
In addition to the event serving as a fundraiser for Lake County Honor Flight, the screening serves as an excellent educational opportunity for area students and others that want to learn more about the true cost of freedom that has been borne by local veterans.
Several veterans who have participated in a Lake County Honor Flight trip will tell their stories and be available for questions after the movie.
“This event is our big introduction to the entire Lake County community. We want everyone to know that we are here and we are working day and night to find local veterans, volunteers and supporters to fulfill the mission to get every WWII Veteran to Washington, D.C.,” said Tamara Siwula, Lake County Honor Flight Communications.
“Viewing the ‘Honor Flight’ movie will give you a renewed sense of patriotism. To see the actual people that stormed the beaches of Normandy and battled at Iwo Jima, and to hear their stories is remarkable,” Carballido said. “Honor Flight is our chance as a community to give these unsung heroes the honor they truly deserve. Many WWII-era veterans have been wishing and hoping for a chance to take an Honor Flight Trip. These veterans are our neighbors, friends and relatives, and we get the chance to make their dream come true.”
Doors to the Genesee will open at 6 p.m. the night of the show, with the movie beginning at 7:30 and an opportunity to meet and ask questions of the veterans at 9.
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