Pepin Distributing Company takes part in Honor Flight of West Central Florida

By Alfred Goldberg | June 7, 2018

Pepin employee to escort his veteran father; Pepin partner Sparkling Ice donates to

Honor Flight to make special day happen for local veterans

Tampa, Florida – A very special day for longtime Pepin Distributing Company employee Kenny Gelcich has come, as he drives his World War II veteran father to St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport and both experience an Honor Flight sightseeing adventure of Washington, D.C. It’s a trip of a lifetime for both of them.

Gelcich’s father, John, age 97, experienced the horror of Normandy Beach as a young man in the U.S. Armed Forces. Tomorrow, June 5, Kenny will accompany his dad to see the WWII memorial and experience the comradery of other veterans who served or Nation.

“This Honor Flight has been made available to many veterans due to the donations made by many companies like Pepin Distributing and by Sparkling Ice which is making donations for every large display built in the local grocery stores,” says Kenny, a 40-year employee of Pepin Distributing. “I’m so happy for my dad and all the veterans who get to experience this wonderful event.”

Talking Rain Beverage Company, maker of Sparkling Ice flavored sparkling waters, is a strong partner of Pepin and Honor Flight, as its CEO, Chris Hall, is a U.S. Navy veteran. Talking Rain has donated more than $100,000 the last few years to make Honor Flights happen around the country for veterans.

“The Honor Flight Network is an organization close to my heart,” says Hall. “It is important to me that we give back to our veterans and it’s so neat for our heroes to see the amazing sights and memorials in our nation’s capital.”

Honor Flight is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing veterans with honor and closure. Each year, they send thousands of veterans on an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. so that they may visit the memorials built in their honor. For many veterans, the trip provides them with an opportunity to look back, reflect, and share their story in a way they haven’t before.