Central Texas veterans could be headed to Washington, D.C., thanks to a station-wide fundraising push this Veteran's Day. KVUE will host its second annual Honor Flight Austin Telethon on Wednesday, raising money to send local veterans on all-expense-paid trips to the nation's capital.
The telethon runs for a full day and is aimed squarely at helping Central Texas veterans make the journey, according to KVUE. Honor Flight Austin has previously provided World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans the chance to travel to Washington alongside fellow service members, with trips that include stops at memorials honoring their service and sacrifice.
Station Leadership and Sponsors Rally Behind the Cause
KVUE President and General Manager Byron Wilkinson framed the telethon as a partnership effort, saying the station is “Partnering with Honor Flight Austin and Nancy & Nyle Maxwell to help give these heroes a trip of a lifetime to Washington, D.C.” Wilkinson has also said the station is grateful for Central Texas veterans' service and sacrifice, per the same report.
Nyle Maxwell said supporting Honor Flight Austin matters greatly to his family and company, adding that the trips are life-changing for veterans and that his family and company are honored to support them. Honor Flight Austin Chairman Admiral Pat Hall said KVUE has helped tell veterans' stories and rally community support, and that the telethon helps ensure every veteran who wants to experience Honor Flight can do so.
Mozart's Coffee Roasters Brews Up Support
Mozart's Coffee Roasters is contributing a special roast to the Honor Flight Austin effort, with all proceeds from that roast going toward the cause, the station's report notes. The coffee shop is also donating half of all its Veteran's Day sales to the organization.
On top of those contributions, any veteran who stops by Mozart's between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Veteran's Day will be treated to free coffee and dessert, per the same account. Those wishing to donate directly to the telethon can do so at honorflightaustin.org/donate.
How the Nonprofit Spends What It Raises
Honor Flight Austin describes itself as a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit, according to Honor Flight Austin. The organization says 97% of all contributions directly support sending veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit their memorials, and it states that donations are tax-deductible.
Telethons like this have paid off elsewhere in similar fashion. Viewers of KRDO13 donated more than $86,000 to Honor Flight of Southern Colorado during a telethon last April, according to KRDO. That fundraising helped the Colorado chapter charter a flight directly out of Colorado Springs rather than routing veterans through Denver first, allowing a record 86 veterans among 153 total travelers to make the trip.
