Operation Honor Guard, a local movement launched to raise funds for Honor Guards in Central Illinois, is now a nationally-recognized charitable organization. The movement, started by Sunset Funeral Home’s Rich Darby, has received a non-profit status and a federal trademark.
It was in 2013 that Darby attended a graveside service in Danville and noticed the worn and mismatched uniforms of the volunteer Honor Guard, a ceremonial unit that performs military honors at funerals. He knew he wanted to help, so Darby created Operation Honor Guard.
Over the last three years the organization has raised funds for 30 Honor Guard units in Central Illinois.
The average Honor Guard volunteer spends $800 on a uniform. The Honor Guards for military funerals are not funded by the military. And the average age of volunteers on the Honor Guard is 75.
During Operation Honor Guard’s Day of Giving, $180-thousand dollars was raised nationwide to help the units.
To learn more about the local charity and its nationwide reach to help support Honor Guard units, visit operationhonorguard.us.
