Novelty plates help support Gold Star families

An organization dedicated to assisting Gold Star families and empowering veterans since 2010, Mass Fallen Heroes has designed a specialty license plate to convert your car into a ‘rolling tribute’ to honor those who have and continue to sacrifice.

The Fallen Hero Plates are now available online at massrmv.com or at full-service Registry of Motor Vehicle branches. Anyone with a passenger vehicle is eligible for the license plate, but commercial vehicles and motorcycles are not currently eligible.

The license plate features the MFH logo with the American flag incorporating the Gold Star representing families who have lost a loved one in action. It also depicts the Fallen Solider Battle Cross. The proceeds generated from the sales of the plates will fund programs and services for post 9/11 Gold Star Families and veterans through the Massachusetts Veteran’s Edge program.

“It’s an awareness campaign,” explains Chris Lessard, 38, who has been program director of Mass Fallen Heroes since early 2014. “This is a way to support veterans and Gold Star families because you can’t get a veteran license plate unless you’re a veteran. People always ask how they can support the veteran community and this is the best way to do it because it’s open to the public,” said Lessard.

The idea was developed in early 2012 by Dorchester’s own Dan Magoon, the executive director of MFH.

“I am proud to have these. It’s been a long time coming, and we are very happy to have these on the road,” said Lessard.

The specialty license plates have had over 750 pre-orders and have hit over 500 sales. Lessard urges customers to grab the 4-digit license plates while they are still available at the RMV. MFH will be auctioning off numbers 1-100 in the coming months, he said. For updates, visit massfallenheroes.org.

The registration fee for the MFH specialty license place is $40, payable by cash or check, in addition to a swap fee of $20 when picking up the plates for the RMV. Of that, $28 serves as a tax-deductible charitable donation and $12 covers the production cost. A quarter of the $40 fee will support the Disabled American Veterans Department of Massachusetts transportation program.


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