On Saturday's episode of the Made In America Store Show we talked about some of the global events affecting us at home. Plus, we sit with Tom Petrie of Buffalo Niagara Honor Flight for a beautiful interview on their upcoming event!

Buffalo Niagara Honor Flight is a local organization that raises money to send our World War 2, Vietnam War, and Korean War Veterans to see their memorial in Washington D.C. - Free of charge! A lot of the veterans who fought for our freedom haven't had the opportunity to see their own memorials - Honor Flight is here to change that.

Right now, 45 heroes have signed up for April 30th's flight, with one very special WWII Veteran who will be celebrating his 101st birthday on the trip!

The Made In America Store has worked alongside Buffalo Niagara Honor Flight since 2016, working to raise money with concerts, meet & greets, chicken dinners, and even providing a change bin at every register.

"No one would give them a room and computer" said Mark Andol, CEO & Founder of the Made In America Store, "but we did! We're now the headquarters to the Buffalo Niagara Honor Flight."

With rising gas prices and supply chain shortages, future flights will be a lot more difficult to plan. At this moment, it costs about $1,500 per veteran to get on a on each flight! Buffalo Niagara Honor Flight is completely run by donations and volunteer work, so you can understand the challenges!

This time around, we're helping with something different. Each trip, the veterans are gifted souvenirs from some of the major sponsors. Some of those gifts are promotional, imported items. This year, we're stepping up to create gift bags filled with 100% made in America items right from out store! Snack items, toiletries, Wigwam Mills Socks, and other giftee items.

"Keeping it local to support American workers, these veterans want to be proud for our country,” said Tom Petrie. "Our hope is with these 100% American made gift bags; it will entice the other 9 New York State Honor Flight chapters to buy American made for their trips.

And there are more opportunities to help! On May 21st, Armed Forces Day, we'll be hosting our 12-year anniversary event! We'll have live music, meet & greets with some of our American made vendors, and a Chiavetta's Chicken BBQ, where some of the proceeds will go right to Honor Flight!

"Chiavetta's has been great" Andol said, "they had to reinvent themselves with the pandemic. Since crowds were no longer allowed, they came up with the pop-up model and I think it's really worked out for them! Nothing stops them either, we've seen them host pop ups in Elma during snowstorms, raising money for Honor Flight!"

Help today with a $25 donation for the Patriotic Veteran Bags for Honor Fight

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