A "Celebration of Gratitude," the 2016 Central Missouri Honor Flight Honor Ball, will be Dec. 4 at the Columbia Expo Center.
Central Missouri Honor Flight sponsors the annual fundraiser to ensure there are funds available for flights to resume in the spring. The final Honor Flight of the year was recently made.
Central Missouri Honor Flight works to send veterans from Mid-Missouri to see the war memorials in Washington, D.C. - all in the span of one day. Since 2009, in 44 flights, more than 2,600 heroes have made the one-day journey with CMHF.
More than 400 area veterans will be in attendance to hear big band music from the Memories Orchestra. The Honor Ball features all of the trappings of a military ball, with a banquet meal and special toasts.
"We applaud the ability to gather with the very men and women who provided the protection of the liberties we Americans cherish today," CMHF president Mary Paulsell said. "Furthermore, as we approach Pearl Harbor Day on Dec. 7, we can be encouraged that the Honor Flight journey began to honor the World War II men and women who answered their nation's call after that malicious attack. The Honor Flight mission continues now to honor not only the WWII veterans, but also veterans of the Korean War and Vietnam War. This night of celebration allows us to raise badly needed funds to continue our blended-flights in 2017."
Tickets for the 2016 Honor Ball are $100 per person; a table for 10 is $900. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the program and dinner begin at 6 p.m.
The Columbia Expo Center is at 2200 Interstate 70 Drive SW. To reserve tickets, call 573-256-1930 or email [email protected]. Visit centralmissourihonorflight.com to learn more.