Bottle and can drive supports Honor Flight Syracuse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) – Calling all bottles and cans! It’s a donation that will help give the memory of a lifetime for 80 of our local veterans.

“Twice a year honor flight Syracuse sends veterans to Washington at no charge to them and they get a chance while they’re down there to take a look and reflect on the monuments built to honor their service and sacrifices,” Dan Cummings of Honor Flight Syracuse said.

The veterans pay nothing to go, which means it’s events like these that make the trip possible.

“TOMRA donates a penny for every can that gets brought back and processed so the nickel goes from the consumer, the penny goes from TOMRA,” Steve Nee of Honor Flight Syracuse said.

And when the veterans arrive back in Syracuse, it’s a warm welcome home… one some never got.

“It’s a fantastic experience, especially the Vietnam vets who many people might remember at my age weren’t treated very well when they came back, so it’s a very rewarding experience for the volunteers and the vets,” Nee said.

“When they came home from service quite the contrary, they were spit upon, they were called baby killers, they were not welcomed home. It was an unpopular war and they put on the uniform and stood there for us and our land, so it’s about time that they were recognized for their service and their sacrifice,” Cummings added.

A trip so our veterans can get to see the memorials dedicated in their honor.

The drive continues on Sunday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Destiny USA’s parking lot at the corner of Solar Street and Hiawatha Boulevard next to Embassy Suites.