Local Musicians Will Hold Concert To Benefit Honor Flight

Harmonies for Heroes is a fundraising concert planned for this weekend that will benefit an organization that provides free trips to Veterans so they can view the National Memorial for the war in which they fought.

Honor Flight is an amazing organization. Volunteers, including pilots who donate their time and their planes, seek out Veterans who have never traveled to Washington D.C. to view their war memorial, and then arrange a trip so they can go. The Vets don't pay for anything, not even a soda or burger. It's all taken care of, so all they have to do is enjoy the ride, and be allowed to feel like the very special people that they are.

Laurie Sidelinger, with Honor Flight, chatted with me at length recently about the group, and her experience as a 'Guardian,' which is what they call the volunteer assigned to each Veteran. She said her trip was years ago, but she and her husband still travel to the home of the Veteran she escorted to help him celebrate his birthday. She said they're hearty souls, with one 101-year-old Vet keeping them up past midnight, telling stories!

The group is a non-profit, so they rely on the donations of others to sustain it and to pay for the trips. Sidelinger told me that volunteer Ida Morton and local musician Randy Blevins contacted the Maine headquarters and said that they wanted to hold a musical concert to raise money for Honor Flight. And that's exactly what they've done!

On Sunday, several local bands will gather at Jeff's Catering in Brewer for a full day of music that will start at noon and last until 7 o'clock at night. The suggested donation at the door is $10, but organizer Randy Blevins says, if you can only afford $5, that's fine. If you want to give $100, that would be great too!

There will be a variety of musical styles represented by the bands. Here's the lineup!

• Noon - Country Boots
• 1:00 - 5 Wheel Drive
• 2:00 - the Ian Black Band
• 3:00 - Octavia
• 4:00 - Midnight Rose
• 5:00 - Raven
• 6:00 - Uncrowned Kings

In addition to the music, there will be silent and live auction items up for bid, including guitars and a drum set! Restaurant, retailer, and golf certificates, a framed wildlife print, and tons more, so you could take home a treat for yourself and help these Veterans see their Memorial. What a great way to spend a Sunday!