Dear Wings of Hope Family,
“Lean in.” This phrase became popular in 2013 when a book bearing that title was released. Its author is Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg. At the time, the phrase was a rallying call for professional women to “lean in” to their profession and achieve their full potential.
Since that time, “lean in” has taken on a much broader meaning. It is often used to describe a person who is facing a challenge and chooses to confront it head on. In this issue of LIFT, you will read extraordinary stories of bravery by people who have chosen to lean in.
Joseph is the very first person to fly as a Medical Relief & Air Transport (MAT) patient in the Navajo that we recently added to our fleet. It was our first patient flight in this aircraft and Joseph’s first flight in any aircraft.
In these pages, you will meet Leslie Cuppett and learn how she has leaned in to her service as a MAT pilot and hangar helper. You will read about how our Young Ambassadors re-engineered the Taste of Hope fundraising event to make it Covid-safe and super successful. You will meet Ethan Peterson, a former Soar into STEM student who, as a high school student, completed his first solo flight on his way to a career in aviation.
You also will meet our team leaning in to the challenge of redesigning our popular Soar into STEM curriculum. With Covid-19 preventing us from offering the program at Wings of Hope, this team is helping us rethink an approach that will ultimately reach a much broader audience.
You will be introduced to our newest board member, Justin Giessman, whose father, Butch, a longtime Wings of Hope supporter and board member, recently passed away. Justin is keeping his dad’s legacy alive by leaning in to Wings of Hope.
Each day there are stories of courage taking place at our global field bases located in the most remote corners of the world. And, of course, there is you. Each of us have been called to lean in personally, professionally or both this year. You have continued leaning in to Wings of Hope with your support and encouragement that makes it possible to save and change lives each and every day.
Thank you,
Bret Heinrich,
President & CEO