Honor to fly

If you think you're too busy to be charitable, meet Dr. Debi Lux.

As a dentist with a busy practice in Naples, Debi Lux and her husband, Sean Lux, and a dedicated board have raised more than $1 million to pay for 770 veterans from Lee and Collier counties to visit memorials in Washington, D.C., in the past two years.

Veterans themselves, the Luxes have coordinated 12 flights of mostly World War II veterans as part of Collier County Honor Flight, a nonprofit organization they formed after they were inspired by accompanying veterans on an Honor Flight trip with a different chapter of the national organization.

The amazing thing is Collier County Honor Flight consists of all volunteers. There is no paid staff to coordinate the flights, which generally take about 65 veterans, each accompanied by a volunteer who will look after them during the one-day roundtrip to Washington, D.C. “Anything worth doing is worth doing for free,” says Sean Lux, a former software engineer who now attends law school.

Between them, the Luxes share a flip phone that serves as the main point of contact. “You commit to something, and you find the time,” says Debi Lux. “We spend a lot of late nights and weekends.”

The Luxes note that it's not a two-person job, however. Each of the organization's 10 board members has a specific task, including a medical director and volunteer coordinator. “We don't have to provide constant oversight,” Debi Lux says.

In addition to arranging the flights, the board coordinates volunteer training, buses to transport veterans to the Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers and around Washington D.C., police escorts, food and a celebration with hundreds of well-wishers at the airport when they return. “We take this to the nth degree,” Debi Lux says.

Debi Lux has managed to balance the needs of her dental practice, Brace 4 Beauty, with the demands of Honor Flight. “My patients know how passionate I am about both,” she says.

The biggest challenge, the Luxes say, is fundraising so veterans can fly free. That's because it costs about $80,000 to pay for the flights and transportation. Volunteer guardians assigned to each veteran pay for their own airfare.

In addition, the organization provides food, shirts to identify participants and their escorts, and administrative expenses, such as IRS filing fees, the website collierhonorflight.org and a storage unit.

Time is of the essence for World War II veterans because of their age, and the Luxes scout retirement communities and health centers to find them. They estimate there are 300 World War II veterans in Southwest Florida who have not yet visited the World War II Memorial in Washington. “Time is against us,” says Debi Lux.

Initially, Lux says the organization began fundraising with an account under the tax-exempt umbrella of the Community Foundation of Collier County so donors could claim tax-deductible donations. Naples lawyer Patrick Neale, who served as a volunteer guardian escort on the group's first flight, helped the organization obtain tax-exempt status.

Instead of spending money for expensive fundraisers, the Luxes hope to be the beneficiaries of the numerous events in Naples, such as the Celebrity Martini Glass Auction. The annual event features 25 glasses autographed by A-list celebrities such as Ben Affleck and Dolly Parton.

Collier County Honor Flight also has been the recipient of donations from philanthropic individuals such as Jay and Patty Baker. Jay Baker is the retired president of Kohl's.

But the most gratifying part of the experience, volunteer participants say, is the bonds they form with the veterans they accompany. “It feels so good, you have no idea,” Debi Lux says.

>HR>

Executive: Debi Lux, Brace 4 Beauty dental practice
Organization: Collier County Honor Flight
Giveback: Coordinated a dozen flights for veterans.
Mission: Raising interest and money to support veterans being able to travel to Washington, D.C.