The Latest From Each Topic
From the President
From the President – Fall/Winter 2022
Dear Wings of Hope Family, Autumn is my favorite season. The cool crisp air, crunching leaves, long shadows at twilight — it is a magical time. I often think of autumn as a period of reflection on what we discovered and achieved in spring and
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
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
Flight Requests on the Rise for MAT Program
This past August, the Wings of Hope Medical Relief & Air Transport (MAT) Program completed 21 patient flights to care. In September, the MAT Program completed 16 flights in Wings of Hope aircraft. These numbers don’t include the limited amount of commercial airline tickets Wings
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
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
Taste of Hope Raises $33,000 to Support Wings of Hope’s Global Humanitarian Network
On Sept. 17, the Wings of Hope hangar filled with some 250 guests who enjoyed tastings from 20 restaurants, a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, music by DJ Carlos Suarez and a special performance by Beyond Measure Dance. Taste of Hope, put on by the Young
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
Wings of Hope Supporters
Hangar Hosts Media and Retailers Interested in Oris Wings of Hope Watch
On Oct. 11 and 12, Oris, the Swiss watchmaker that launched the Limited Edition Wings of Hope Big Crown Pilot’s Watch this past summer, invited trade media and watch retailers to Wings of Hope to learn more about the watch and Wings of Hope. The
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.
Board & Staff
HISTORY OF HOPE: Captain Clarence “Clancy” Hess
In each issue of LIFT, we use the History of Hope feature to share a little about the individuals who have been formative in the history and growth of Wings of Hope. After her dad passed away in 2014, Sue Miller said Wings of Hope
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
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
HISTORY OF HOPE: Captain Clarence “Clancy” Hess
In each issue of LIFT, we use the History of Hope feature to share a little about the individuals who have been formative in the history and growth of Wings of Hope. After her dad passed away in 2014, Sue Miller said Wings of Hope
Wings of Hope Receives National Aviation Hall of Fame Milton Caniff Spirit of Flight Award
On Sept. 23, the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) presented Wings of Hope its 2022 Milton Caniff Spirit of Flight Award, which recognizes and rewards aerospace organizations that exemplify the positive utilization of aviation for charitable purposes or for service to all. “What sets