Building Confidence in Children and Youth with Special Needs |
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Greetings!
Welcome to the Spring of 2023! Challenge Air is gearing up for a very busy season of Fly Days and we hope to see you there! We are returning to Ft. Worth for the first time in 10 years, we've added 2 new cities; Sonoma County, CA and Greensboro, SC.
To top it all off, 2023 is our 30th Anniversary of flying kids with special needs. Thank you for being a part of the magic! Here's to 30 more years!
With much appreciation,
April Culver
CEO/ Executive Director
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NEW Fly Day City Sonoma County
Meet Sonoma County Chairperson, John Ferreira & Family!
"Back in 2018, Bloggess Angelia of The Pilot Wife Life, convinced me to bring my girls out to volunteer at a Challenge Air Fly Day in Conroe, Texas. “John, this is a life-changing experience,” she kept telling me.
She was correct! We went back again in 2019 dressed up with party paraphilia from Party City, paired with then, Houston Chief Pilot David “Fig” Newton from Southwest Airlines, pushing him to do 15-minute turns and fly 10 missions in one day. We truly connected with families as the 'Ferreira Loader Team'. After that, we were hooked! I told them next year we need to bring this to Sonoma County.
Unfortunately, the pandemic hit, and we’ve had to wait before we could change lives in our local area. We look forward to our first Fly Day in the Wine Country and the home of the most famous WWI Flying Ace, Snoopy."
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2023 Fly Day Schedule
Below are the upcoming dates for Challenge Air Fly Days!
April 1st – Mesquite, TX
April 22nd- Ft. Worth, TX
April 29th- Chattanooga, TN
May 20th- Sonoma County, CA
June 24th – Spokane, WA (NEW DATE)
Sept 9th- Kansas City, MO
Hope to see you there!
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Gala & Casino Night | Celebrating 30 Years! |
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Save The Date for the 30th Anniversary Gala & Casino night on Saturday, September 16th at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. |
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Mark your calendars and be on the lookout for more information to follow. |
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Meet Mother and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and her Copilot Son Cole! |
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"l'll never forget the way Cole was beaming from ear to ear after his flight.
He still gushes about that day more than a year later! As a mom, there's nothing more special.
Getting to see this unforgettable experience through his eyes has shown me just how remarkable Challenge Air is."
- Cathy McMorris Rodgers
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March is National Disabilities Awareness Month |
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In 1987, President Reagan recognized March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month to increase “public awareness of the needs and the potential of Americans with developmental disabilities” and to provide the “encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.”
Please join us in recognizing March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month by making a donation today so that Challenge Air can continue to bring the gift of flight for free to children with special needs all across the country. It’s an experience these kids need to know and one they will never forget!
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Our own founder, Rick Amber” said it best - “when people, especially children with special needs (or developmental disabilities), go flying, they begin to realize that physical and social limitations can be overcome. They realize that the human spirit can prevail over any obstacle; and they learn to believe in themselves. The experience changes everyone’s perspective.”
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At Challenge Air, we believe a disability is not the only thing that defines someone – each person living with a disability has friends and family, hopes and dreams, likes and dislikes and they can be impacted by your kindness just like anyone else in this world.
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Spotlight on Sophia!
"Thank you so much. Sofia had an amazing time and even ran into a friend. Everyone was so nice. She kept saying “this is so cool!” Awesome day we will never forget."- Sonja
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Last Call! Charity Clay Shoot | March 22nd, 2023 |
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Last call for the Charity Clay Shoot at Clay Sports Ranch in Fort Worth, TX.
Ticket sponsorships are still available.
Spectators are welcome too!
The event starts March 22nd and benefits the Ft Worth area Fly Day.
It will be a fun-filled day. Chance to win firearms, awards and raffles. Plus, a live country concert starts at 6pm.
Grab all the details below.
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Honoring the memory of a beloved past Challenge Air Board Member, Barry Hoffman, Prestonwood Rotary donated $500 to support the Challenge Air mission. |
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Executive Director, April Culver with Park Cities Rotary Club President, Jeff McNaughton. The club recently donated $2,500 to support the North Texas Area Fly Days Rotarians have been supporting Challenge Air for 30 years! |
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Thank you so much for supporting the Challenge Air mission.
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Let's Be Social
#Givekidswings
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