DOCTORS OF INTEREST
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Treasure Coast Medical Report
World War II veteran Richard Lewis of Port St. Lucie visits the WWII Memorial
in Washington, D.C., with Singh. Singh is a large contributor to the
Honor Flight program, which schedules four flights each year with around
80 veterans per flight.
volunteer efforts have allowed the Southeast division to take
3,000 veterans since its start in 2012. Singh explained that
there is a lot of work going into each flight. There are charter
buses, police escorts, assigned guardians for the veterans and,
of course, booking the privately chartered flight.
“The homecoming landing is amazing. There are 1,500 to
2,000 people cheering and screaming for these men, ‘USA!
USA!’” Singh says cheerfully. “It is really a sight to see.”
Currently, there are 43 states with Honor Flight hubs and
nine are in Florida. Each flight costs around $100,000, and
with the cost of fuel going up, airlines are charging much
more.
“The flights are funded one hundred percent by donation,”
Singh says. “We still manage to take about 300 veterans a
year on four separate flights, but it is becoming increasingly
more difficult to fund.”
Singh’s personal efforts help to raise about $55,000 to
$60,000 every year. He sets up various fundraising events
such as golf tournaments, clay shooting competitions and a
show at one of the local theaters.
“Doing this kind of work is just what I enjoy doing. I have
always helped others,” Singh says. “This is part of the Hindu
culture, being generous to those without and living a modest
life.”
/www.hboifoundation.org