Honor Flight of West Central Florida, which honors America’s veterans by transporting them at no cost to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials dedicated to their service, recently recognized John LaSpina, president of Maple Family Centers, for his support of their mission.
LaSpina and his bowling customers have donated more than $50,000 over the years, which allowed for 100 veterans to fly out of West Central Florida for the D.C. trip. At an Oct. 19 ceremony, LaSpina received a plaque and presented the group with another $25,000.
“We are deeply grateful to John LaSpina and Maple Family Centers for their commitment to honoring our heroes and helping us give them the trip of a lifetime,” said Tracy Luchtenberg, board president for Honor Flight of West Central Florida, which is based in St. Petersburg. “We depend on donations to make these flights possible, and Maple’s contributions have been integral to our ability to continue to fly. John loves our veterans and has been a strong advocate for the veteran community, and we were thrilled to have this opportunity to thank him.”
Celebrating their 65th anniversary this year, Maple Family Centers has raised more than $950,000 for veterans’ charities through donations to Bowlers to Veterans Link, a national charity that “supports local therapeutic recreational programs for veterans and active-duty military.”
Added LaSpina: “We are proud to help Honor Flight of West Central Florida honor our nation’s heroes, who put themselves in harm’s way to protect all of our freedoms. We are also very grateful to our bowlers for their continued generosity in joining us in supporting veterans’ causes.”