Vintage fixed-wing aircraft and modern-day Medevac helicopters will fly in to Central Jersey Regional Airport at 1034 Millstone River Road on Saturday, Oct. 3, to help Rotary District 7510 raise money that will be donated to charities and foundations assisting U.S. military and veterans.
The Military & Veterans Appreciation Day begins at 1 p.m. with an American flag flyover that will circle the airfield during singing of the National Anthem by Jessie Devine, a Dunellen High School 9th-grader.
Visitors are invited from 1-5 p.m. to view the aircraft and other attractions, including airplane rides, children’s games, fire apparatus and a performance of patriotic songs by the Somerville Pipers & Drums.
Rain date is Sunday, Oct. 4. Admission is free.
There will be a raffle for a 1-hour scenic airplane ride for three people to New York Harbor and up the Hudson River, courtesy of TriState Aviation.
Other scheduled attractions include tethered hot air balloon rides on the Unity Bank hot air balloon from 1-3 p.m. The Shockwave Monster Truck will be on display.
The event will include outreach and information for members of the military, families and veterans provided by several organizations. There will be food vendors, live bands, clowns, face painting and other activities for children. Walgreen’s will also offer flu shots.
Participating organizations include Operation Shoebox New Jersey and Operation Chill Out.
Operation Chillout, based in Long Valley, is seeking new and unused clothing that will be donated to homeless veterans. Requested items include knit cap and gloves, wool/nylon blend socks, insulated underwear and hooded, zipper sweatshirts in sizes large and extra large.
Operation Shoebox New Jersey, based in Hillsborough, seeks donations of food items that are placed in personal care packages shipped to members of the US military deployed overseas. Requested items include canned tuna, canned fruit, 1 oz. boxes of cereal, dried fruit, trail mix, granola bars, beef jerky, boxes of 16.9 oz. packets of drink mix and small snack bags of pretzels and chips.
Both organizations will host displays, where donated items can be dropped off.
Rotary District 7510 includes 45 chapters in a five-county area in Somerset, Hunterdon, Union, Middlesex and Mercer counties.
Rotary International is a worldwide service organization of businessmen and women dedicated to community service and humanitarian causes.
Information is available by calling Hillsborough Rotary President John Shockley at 732-522-6178 or TriState Aviation at 908-576-4333.
