St. Joseph County Airport Authority Board President to Present $10,000 to the Robert L. Miller Sr. Veteran's Center

South Bend International Airport’s fourteenth annual Bears in the Air program raised $10,000 to benefit local Veterans residing at the Robert L. Miller Sr. Veteran’s Center on the campus of the Center for the Homeless. St. Joseph County Airport Authority Board President David Sage will present the $10,000 check to Lani Vivirito, Chief Resource & Veterans Services Officer at the Center for the Homeless, on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. The presentation will take place at South Bend International Airport near the Atrium.
 
“It’s an honor to have been able to support the Veterans residing at the Robert L. Miller Sr. Veteran’s Center in downtown South Bend since the facility’s opening,” said Mike Daigle, South Bend International Airport’s CEO & Executive Director. “Today’s donation takes the total to $116,600. It is because of the corporate and community support of the Bears in the Air program year after year – that unwavering commitment is why we can keep making a positive difference in the lives of those who fought with honor and courage for our freedom.”
 
The fourteenth annual Bears in the Air program began on December 5, 2025, when travelers and the general public were invited to the kick-off party that took place in the airport’s terminal. This donation is in addition to more than 2600 teddy bears that were delivered to children in five area hospitals in December.