The Latest From Each Topic
From the President
From the President – Spring/Summer 2022
Dear Wings of Hope Family, It’s all about relationships. Technology can be a wonderful way to bridge distances as we all learned during COVID. Using applications like WebEx, Zoom and Teams allowed us all to keep up with one another, peek into each other’s homes
From the President – Fall/Winter 2021
Dear Wings of Hope Family, Hanging on the wall in my office are a series of photos from visits I have made to our field bases around the world. Each picture tells a story about someone we have helped. Another life saved. Another life changed.
Global Programs
Piloting a New Model of Health Care Access in Ecuador
Imagine if your ability to receive emergency medical care was dependent on the weather. That is all too often the case for communities in the Ecuadorian rainforest served by Wings of Hope partner Alas de Socorro (ADS). Due Diligence Mission This past May, a Wings
New BERT Pilot Gives Back to His Home Country
“Being a pilot is more than a profession, it is a passion — and this may be the best way I can give back to the development of my country, Belize.” This past spring, Belize Emergency Response Team (BERT) — our partner for more than
MAT Program
Gracin: From Braces and Crutches to Cleats and Championships
PHOTOS: (left) Gracin in October 2017: her first Wings of Hope flight. (right) Gracin in July 2021 after pitching six innings and leading her softball team to the league championship. Thirteen-year-old Gracin was born with one leg shorter than the other. Wings of Hope flew
MAT “Mom” Karen Andrews Off to new Adventure
Flight Operations Manager Karen Andrews has been scheduling flights and patient schedules for the MAT Program since she joined the Wings of Hope family in 2013. Karen is the liaison who coordinates medical appointments, flights, accommodations and travel between the Wings of Hope flight crew,
Soar into STEM
SOAR into STEM Inspires Students to Take Flight
Three years after launching in 2019, the spring 2022 SOAR into STEM project-basedlearning experience for middle and high school students was more hands-on than ever. Lead teacher Robert Powell, education director for the Challenger Learning Center of St. Louis, was new to program this year.
Taking STEM & Aviation Education to the Next Level
This past year we faced the unique challenge of delivering our hands-on Soar into STEM programming within the constraints of a virtual learning environment. The result is a more structured, in-depth curriculum that will continue to provide students a robust learning experience whether it is
Volunteer Spotlight
Dick Horowitz Makes Final Flight as Chief Pilot for Wings of Hope
PHOTO: Dick (center) poses with Wings of Hope President and CEO Bret Heinrich (left) and wife, Patsy (right), after final flight. On Nov. 30, 2020, Dick Horowitz landed his last flight as Wings of Hope Chief Pilot. With a crowd of volunteers, staff and family
Leslie Cuppett, MAT Pilot
Being Wings of Hope’s only woman pilot seems notable — to just about everyone besides the pilot in question. After all, this isn’t the first time Leslie Cuppett has been the only woman in the room. She was the only woman in the aviation classes
Event Recap
June Gala Soars to New Heights
More than 350 guests filled the Khorassan Ballroom at the Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta Hotel St. Louis on June 4 for the Wings of Hope Soaring to New Heights Gala. The largest annual fundraising event for Wings of Hope was the first in-person gala
Taste of Hope Raises $43,000 to Support Programs in Haiti, Ecuador and Zambia
On Sept. 25, Taste of Hope returned to the Wings of Hope hangar as an unprecedented success. The approximately 250 patrons enjoyed a stellar lineup of culinary choices, silent auction, 50/50 raffle, music by DJ Carlos Suarez and a special performance by Dances of India.
Wings of Hope Supporters
Local Business Owner Donates Hangar Door Repairs
When one of our mechanics noticed a hydraulic leak on the south hangar door this past spring, our hangar crew was quick to act: A hydraulic failure could cause the door to fall. We contacted Hyspeco, a St. Louis-area company with expertise in hydraulic systems.
New Sign marks Wings of Hope Entrance
Materials, design and construction 100% donated PHOTO: Members of the Wings of Hope fun committee celebrate the new entrance sign. On June 1, we welcomed Wings of Hope staff and volunteers to fully return to our headquarters in Chesterfield, MO — after months of limiting
Board & Staff
Anniversary Founders Series: Joe Fabick
Joe Fabick, whose father founded the John Fabick Tractor Company in 1917, was one of the Wings of Hope founders. It started in the summer of 1963 when a St. Louis businessman named Bill Edwards invited Joe to his home for a presentation about missionaries
Wings of Hope Board Welcomes Four New Members
At its March 24 quarterly meeting, the Wings of Hope Board of Directors welcomed four new members, bringing the board to a total of 21 members — and strengthening an already robust team with extensive business, military and community experience. Melissa Owens CXA Healthcare Practice
Honorary Council
Elizabeth Dole is Honorary Chair of Soaring to New Heights Campaign
Senator Elizabeth Dole, a longtime Wings of Hope Honorary Council member, has signed on as honorary chair of our Soaring to New Heights Endowment Campaign to secure the future of the Wings of Hope Medical Relief & Air Transport (MAT) program. She joins Wings of
Meet Patty and Barrington!
Wings of Hope is honored and excited to welcome Patty Wagstaff and Barrington Irving to our Honorary Council. Both are esteemed pilots whose feats in the air push the limits of aviation performance. But what makes them such great ambassadors for Wings of Hope is
Young Ambassadors
Taste of Hope Raises $43,000 to Support Programs in Haiti, Ecuador and Zambia
On Sept. 25, Taste of Hope returned to the Wings of Hope hangar as an unprecedented success. The approximately 250 patrons enjoyed a stellar lineup of culinary choices, silent auction, 50/50 raffle, music by DJ Carlos Suarez and a special performance by Dances of India.
Taste of Hope Drive-Thru Edition Exceeds Expectations
Each year since the inaugural Taste of Hope in 2017, the Young Ambassadors’ annual food fest has created more excitement, drawn bigger crowds and, most of all, generated more funds to support the global communities we serve. Like most everything in 2020, pulling off a
General
Anniversary Founders Series: Joe Fabick
Joe Fabick, whose father founded the John Fabick Tractor Company in 1917, was one of the Wings of Hope founders. It started in the summer of 1963 when a St. Louis businessman named Bill Edwards invited Joe to his home for a presentation about missionaries
FAA Honors Wings of Hope Volunteer Ed Schertz
On April 26, representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) visited the Wings of Hope hangar to present longtime volunteer and former Wings of Hope pilot, Ed Schertz, two of its most coveted awards: The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award and the Charles Taylor Master