Latest news with #BarrieFinnegan
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Yahoo
Second North Country Honor Flight takes off Saturday
PLATTSBURGH — Ahead of the North Country Honor Flight's second flight of the season Saturday morning, Assemblyman Billy Jones presented a $50,000 check to organizers. The funds will help cover flight and travel expenses for local veterans to visit the Arlington National Cemetery and other veterans memorials in Washington, D.C. 'The North Country Honor Flight is an incredible organization that I am extremely proud to be able to support each and every year,' Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake, said. 'Showing support to our local heroes in such an incredible way, by sending them to our nation's capital to be recognized for their service and dedication to our country, is an amazing opportunity and a great showing of our community's appreciation of our local veterans.' Jones presented the check to Barrie Finnegan, executive director of the North Country Honor Flight on Thursday. 'I am incredibly grateful for the Assemblyman's continued support for the Honor Flight and our veterans,' Finnegan said. 'We take great pride in our program's offerings and are looking forward to the three remaining flights of 2025.' North Country Honor Flight is a 100% volunteer-led nonprofit organization committed to honoring America's veterans by providing them with free, first-class trips to Washington, D.C. These trips allow the veterans to reflect, remember, and receive the recognition for their service. The next North Country Honor Flight is scheduled for Saturday. The flight will honor and transport 30 veterans from New York and Vermont — primarily Vietnam War veterans — on a journey to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials built in their honor. The day will begin with a send-off ceremony at 7 a.m. at the US Oval, featuring the public, local veterans, families and supporters. The community is encouraged to attend and show appreciation for these American heroes as they embark on this unforgettable experience. This flight is sponsored by Harmony Golf Club, whose annual 2024 golf tournament fundraiser made this mission possible. The Honor Flight organization shared that the Harmony Golf Club tournament has become a successful and beloved tradition — the 2025 tournament is already underway, continuing its legacy of honoring veterans through community generosity and involvement. For more information about future flights or how to support the mission, visit For more information visit or contact Jerika Manning at 518-364-6503 or northcountryhonorflight@
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
North Country Honor Flight season ready to take off
PLATTSBURGH — A new season of North Country Honor Flight begins at 7 am., Saturday, May 17, with the first of four trips to Washington, D.C. 'It is a big day for us and we certainly are hoping for a great day weather wise, but it will be great no matter what,' North Country Honor Flight Executive Director Barrie Finnegan said. 'We are hoping for another great crowd.' North Country Honor Flight, since 2013, has taken more than 900 area veterans on 59 flights to Washington to visit the war memorials of each conflict the nation has been involved in over the years. Flights 60 and 61 will depart Saturday from Plattsburgh International Airport after the send-off ceremony at Veterans Park at the U.S. Oval at 7 a.m. The ceremony will feature the standard songs by the Morrisonville Elementary School students and Larry Ebere. Local musical sensation Taylor LaValley will perform the U.S. and Canadian national anthems. Finnegan said LaValley learned the Canadian anthem in anticipation of a Canadian World War II soldier that was planning on participating in the trip, but had to cancel due to a last-minute illness. 'She learned the song and she has such a beautiful voice, and Canada is so important to our region so why not sing it anyway as an honor to them,' Finnegan said. The ceremony will also be highlighted by the usual Thunder in the Burgh, which features more than 200 motorcycles roaring through North Country streets to form up as a powerful escort for the two buses that will ferry the veterans from the Oval to the airport. 'People will hear it once again and they are going to make some noise,' Finnegan said. Each ceremony features short biographies of each veteran on the trip. For several years, former Director of Operations Janet Duprey would read the bios, but she has since stepped down from her position. Finnegan said Executive Officer Jerika Manning and new Director of Operations Gina Bond will take over the reading of the bios. Mountain Lake PBS Television's Thom Hallock will once again serve as the master of ceremonies. 'Some people have said that the program is always the same, but for the veterans going on the flights, they have never been here before and they have never seen it,' Finnegan said. 'It's all for these vets.' Many veterans who have taken a flight have come back to attend subsequent flights, Finnegan said. 'A lot of them come back because they know how important it is and they don't want to miss any of them, and they bring their families,' he said. Finnegan said support from local residents has been super over the years in terms of fundraising and attendance at send-offs. 'We are lucky to live where we live because people are so supportive,' he said. In addition to the usual send-off events, the Beekmantown Central School seventh-graders are hosting a 5k fun run and other events to support the program. More information is available on the North Country Honor Flight Run Facebook page. The day will end when the flights return to the airport around 8:15 p.m. and crowds are encouraged to greet the veterans back at the Oval park. Future flights are scheduled for June 28, Sept. 6 and Oct. 4. 'It's that time of year again and we are looking forward to this and we are going to have another great season, and our veterans deserve this,' Finnegan said.
