SAUK CITY, Wis. – On Wednesday, the Sauk Prairie nonprofit Heroes for Honor set up a rose‑selling booth to honor Veterans Day and raise funds for Badger Honor Flight missions. The group invited residents to purchase roses for themselves, a veteran, or anyone they wished to thank for service.
Community generosity fuels veteran trips
Badger Honor Flight arranges trips for Wisconsin veterans to Washington, D.C., where they can visit the national memorials dedicated to their sacrifice. Since its founding in 2013, Heroes for Honor has contributed more than $500,000 toward these journeys.
Veteran and group member Fritz Wyttenbach, a Vietnam veteran who has taken a Badger Honor Flight himself, described the impact of the trips. “When veterans come back, you ask them how it is, and they say it’s the best day of their life,” he said. “Now when you can get an 80‑year‑old veteran to say that’s the best day of his life, that says a lot.”
Why the flights matter
Wyttenbach explained that the flights often provide closure for veterans who have carried the weight of their experiences for decades. “They struggle over the years and sometimes they just need that closure to put things at rest,” he said. “So they really appreciate it.”
He also praised the Sauk Prairie community for its longstanding support of veterans. “Our community, the Sauk Prairie community, is really supportive of veterans. They always have been, and I know they always will be,” Wyttenbach added.
Roses sell out quickly
By mid‑afternoon, the rose supply was nearly exhausted, but volunteers remained optimistic. “I’m sure we’ll sell out again,” said Wyttenbach. “People realize how important it is to support veterans. So it’s going really well.”
One purchaser, Christine Parchem, shared her family’s deep military ties. “They’ve all been in the military, and we’ve had a lot of classmates that were in Vietnam and came home, and some of them have since gone, and so it’s important,” she said. Parchem noted that her father was able to travel on the first Honor Flight the group funded, with her brother accompanying him. “The first Honor Flight we did, lots of pats on our back for all the money that we raised for that,” she said, encouraging others to take part.
Supporting veterans through local action
Heroes for Honor’s rose‑selling effort is a reminder that small, community‑driven actions can have a profound impact on the lives of those who served. By purchasing a simple rose, Sauk Prairie residents help ensure that more Wisconsin veterans experience the honor and gratitude they deserve.
For more information about future fundraising events or how to volunteer with Heroes for Honor, residents can contact the organization through its website or local outreach channels.
Original reporting: NBC15 WMTV (Gray) – local — read the source article.
