In a show of its commitment to community, service, and law enforcement, Ascentra Credit Union has donated $20,000 to the inaugural Quad City Back the Blue Flight.
The new program, first announced in November, honors local law enforcement officers – active and retired – by providing a one-day chartered flight to Washington, D.C., where participants will visit the National Police Officers Memorial Wall and other historic sites.
Quad City Back the Blue Flight’s mission is to support and honor law enforcement officers across the Quad Cities by offering an all-expenses-paid, roundtrip experience designed to recognize their service and sacrifice. Each flight also will include a family member of a local officer who was killed in the line of duty to ensure that fallen heroes also are honored and remembered.
The upcoming trip will depart the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 9, from the Quad Cities International Airport in Moline. The trip includes chartered airfare, ground transportation, meals, and guided visits to the National Police Officers Memorial Wall and Museum, the Capitol, the National Spy Museum, and other significant landmarks.
Similar to the area’s longstanding Honor Flight of the Quad Cities, which transport area veterans for the one-day Washington, D.C., experience, Back the Blue believes the flight will give officers a meaningful opportunity to reflect, connect with peers, and honor the memories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Flight program launch
“Law enforcement officers protect our communities with courage and selflessness,” Ascentra President and CEO Linda Andry said in a news release Friday, April 24. “We are proud to help support the launch of a program that recognizes those serving our communities; past, present, and future.”
Quad City Back the Blue Flight, a nonprofit initiative launched in 2025, also aims to raise awareness about local law enforcement needs and concerns, while fostering continued support for future flights. Its long-term goal is to make these experiences in Washington, D.C., available to as many active and retired law enforcement professionals as possible.
“Back the Blue Flight will make a profound impact on the lives of our officers,” said Greg Keller, board president of Quad City Back the Blue Flight. “Thanks to Ascentra’s generosity and leadership, we are able to honor those who serve and remember those who gave everything.”
To learn more about Quad City Back the Blue Flight, visit here.
About Ascentra
Founded in 1950 and headquartered in downtown Bettendorf, Ascentra Credit Union has more than $593 million in assets. Its nine branches serve the Iowa communities of Bettendorf, Clinton, Davenport and Muscatine as well as the Illinois Quad Cities with an office in Moline.
