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Boy raises $5,000+ for veterans by making paper airplanes

Hamilton, Ind. (WANE) – A 10-year-old boy is using his passion for paper airplanes to honor the nation’s veterans. He collects donations for his planes to help Honor Flight Northeast Indiana, an organization that sends veterans to Washington D.C. to see the national war memorials.

When Jagger Hurraw started his paper plane fundraiser at seven-years-old, his goal was $800. That was enough to send one veteran on an Honor Flight. The Northeast Indiana community has donated so much money to his cause, that his goal has been surpassed seven-fold.

“I feel happy that they get to see the memorials of their friends who died,” Hurraw said.

It’s pretty simple. Hurraw shows up to an event and people will donate whatever amount they’d like in exchange for a paper plane. Hurraw has received donations that range from 25 cents to $200. His grand total in the two years he’s been fundraising is $5,714.

“It’s pretty remarkable what he’s done,” said Chante Hurraw, his mother. “He doesn’t pat himself on the back or boast about what he’s done. He just keeps doing it because he knows the more he does, the more he can help.”

Hurraw’s devotion to veterans arose while watching a World War II documentary about D-Day. Even at 7-years-old, he was deeply moved.

“All those soldiers dying,” he explained. “They didn’t deserve to just be shot at by machine guns. Just coming out of boat, some of those didn’t even make it on land. Some of them died as soon as they got out of the boat. Sunk to the bottom of the ocean.”

Hurraw began his paper plane fundraiser shortly after that and his efforts have sent seven veterans on Honor Flights.

“I feel great now that I know that so many veterans get to go partly because of me,” he said. “I just feel really happy.”

Hurraw’s dream is to someday go on an Honor Flight with his grandfather, who was an army mechanic in the Vietnam War.

To request to have Hurraw set up his paper plane fundraiser at an event, email his mother at chantehurraw@gmail.com.

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