Donating Frequent Flyer Miles Help Families of Injured Troops

Donating Frequent Flyer Miles Help Families of Injured Troops

BND.com

12.20.10

Have a few unused frequent flyer miles hanging around?

Donate them to help the families of troops injured in Iraq or Afghanistan visit them in military hospitals around the world.

Unused frequent flyer miles can be donated to Operation Hero Miles, which are used to provide ariline tickets to military families for travel related to a servicemember's medical condition. Servicemembers being treated as a result of an injury can also request a ticket to travel home while on medical leave.

The program, administered by the Fisher House Foundation, has issued more than 20,000 donated tickets, saving military families nearly $27 million since its inception.

"Operation Hero Miles is such an important program that allows military families to be together -- something that is especially important during the holidays," said Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn. "I encourage people throughout our state to celebrate the holidays by donating unused frequent flyer miles to our military families."

For more information or to donate airline miles, visit www.fisherhouse.org.

Operation Hero Miles partners with the following air carriers: AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Midwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways.

Illinois residents can help Illinois veterans through the Veterans Cash lottery, a scratch-off lottery ticket that sends all proceeds from sales of the tickets to fund rehabilitative programs and other services for veterans.

Since the program begin in 2006, more than $8.4 million has been raised for veterans organizations statewide.

For more information about programs that benefit veterans, visit OperationHomefront.org or call the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs at (217) 782-6641 or (312)814-2460.