More than 80 veterans will finally get to experience the trip of a lifetime this weekend when they take to the skies on board a Hudson Valley Honor Flight.

The original flight was scheduled to take off two years ago but had to be postponed because of the pandemic.

"It's really exciting,” says Jennifer DeFrancesco, Hudson Valley Honor Flight executive director. “These veterans have been waiting a long time. This is the same group we had to postpone in April 2020.”

Saturday’s flight will be the Walden-based nonprofit's 25th mission that transports veterans from the Hudson Valley to Washington, D.C. It's a day of togetherness for former soldiers who are taking tours of the memorial sites, something they may otherwise never get the chance to see.

"There's something magical and special about being amongst their peers and sharing their stories and knowing that they've gone, that they've had the same experiences,” added DeFrancesco.

This year’s event will have more sentimental feeling than usual for the organization. It will be the first since their founder, Steve Nicoli, died from COVID-19. Nicoli will be there in spirit as a "Hudson Valley Hero" and his family will also be on board to see his mission and legacy continue.

More flights are scheduled for later this spring and in the fall.

Hudson Valley Honor Flight is funded completely from donations. To help fund a trip or chaperone a veteran, check out the link here.