$10K Centreville Bank grant to provide equipment for Honor Flights

Posted 3/16/17

In June, 50 local World War II and Korean War veterans will be flown to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials built to honor their service, thanks to the work of the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub and a $10,000 grant from the Centreville

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$10K Centreville Bank grant to provide equipment for Honor Flights

BOOST FOR HONOR FLIGHT: The Centreville Bank Charitable Foundation presented $10,000 to the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub to fund the purchase of medical equipment needed for future honor flights. Pictured from left: Thomas J. Lamb, president, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Centreville Bank; Chief Kenneth Finlay, Cumberland Fire Department; John P. Gallogly, director, Centreville Bank Charitable Foundation; Domenic Giarrusso, WWII veteran; Julie Casey, senior vice president, Strategy & Marketing, Centreville Bank; Walter Richardson III, trustee, Centreville Bank; George Farrell, chairman, R.I. Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub; Benjamin Carbone, WWII veteran; Phil Casacalenda III, director, Centreville Bank Charitable Foundation; and Jill DeShiro, executive vice president, Chief Financial and Administrative Risk Officer, Centreville Bank.

(Submitted photo)

Posted Thursday, March 16, 2017 1:33 pm

The Foundation’s grant will cover the cost of purchasing much-needed medical equipment for Honor Flight participants, including wheelchairs, oxygen concentrators and automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

“Due to their advanced age, most of the veterans we serve have mobility issues and chronic medical conditions. For this reason, our Honor Flight Hub is required to provide medical oversight, care and mobility equipment, which until now we have had to rent or borrow,” said George Farrell, chairman of the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub. “Thanks to this grant from the Centreville Bank Charitable Foundation, we will now own the equipment we need for our future Honor Flights. In addition, we will be able to purchase equipment that will provide a virtual reality veterans experience which we can bring to nursing homes, assisted living and hospice centers to give virtual tours of the memorials to veterans who are unable to travel on their Honor Flight.”

“We are pleased to support the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight hub in their unique mission,” said Thomas J. Lamb, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Centreville Bank. “When we learned how much easier it will be for them to plan and execute Honor Flights, simply by owning this equipment, we saw an opportunity to make a meaningful difference. It is an honor for us to be able to assist our veterans in this way.”

Honor Flight takes WWII veterans to Washington, D.C. for the purpose of visiting the national memorials that were built to honor their service and sacrifice. Korean War veterans will be included on Honor Flights commencing in June 2017.