(WSIL) -- The National Honor Flight Network announced the cancellation of all flights for 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Organizers with the Southern Illinois Chapter of Honor Flights say they found out about the change Friday.
They've kept in contact with veterans scheduled for the next round of flights, which they hope will take place next Spring; however, they're waiting to set a date until, they're certain that, it's safe to make the trip to Washington D.C.
"The group of people that we serve and, I just have to say, they're at an age where they're susceptible to this virus; we don't want to put them in harms way, that's the last thing we want to do," says Bryant Questelle of the Veterans Honor Flights of Southern Illinois.
"We're still doing okay; we're disappointed that we can't fly. We want to take all of our veterans in this area out to D.C. to see the memorials, and that's why we do this," says Questelle.
Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois is still fundraising for future trips. If you're interested in donating, you can find information on their website .
The pandemic has caused the cancellation of several large fundraising events such as SI Made and the Golf Scramble - both of which raise thousands of dollars each year.
Veterans wishing to take a flight are still encouraged to . As the restrictions lift, the flights will return - with possibly three to D.C. in 2021.
