The Latest From Each Topic
From the President
From the President – Spring/Summer 2023
Is It Summer Already? 2023 is off to a roaring start for Wings of Hope. Not even halfway through the year and we’ve already celebrated a successful Soaring to New Heights Gala, completed the fifth year of our SOAR into STEM program for students in
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
Global Programs
Global Humanitarian Network: Samaritan Aviation
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a relatively small country with population estimates ranging between 8 and 11 million people. It is also one of the most culturally diverse countries with people speaking 840 languages. More than 80% of the population lives in rural areas, with
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
MAT Program
Frequent Flyer Micah Has Mixed Emotions About Last Flight
Micah is one of Wings of Hope’s frequent flyers. Born with one leg shorter than the other, the now 16-year-old has been flying with Wings of Hope from her home in Kansas to Shriners Children’s St. Louis since she was five. After 16 surgeries and
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
Soar into STEM
Boeing Funds SOAR into STEM Growth With $100,000 Grant
On Saturday, Nov. 11, Monique Bynum, community investor for Boeing, presented Wings of Hope with a ceremonial $100,000 check at the organization’s Career Exploration Fair which was held in the Wings of Hope hangar to coincide with the final session of the fall SOAR into
SOAR Into STEM Takes Students Out of the Hangar — and Into the World
Wings of Hope launched SOAR into STEM (SIS) in 2019 to inspire students to pursue STEM and aviation careers — and gain a new understanding and appreciation for the important role airplanes can play in changing and saving lives around the world. This past April,
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
Sister Gives Brother Raffle Prize!
Most people who purchase tickets to our biannual airplane raffles are hoping to win the grand prize: a plane. But a raffle ticket also buys a chance to win one of three additional prizes including a PPL (private pilot license) or advanced training scholarship. Brother
What’s Happening in the Wings of Hope Hangar?
Wings of Hope is a global humanitarian network of partners serving people in nine countries, but the heart and soul of the organization is its hangar at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, Mo. A quick walk through the Wings of Hope hangar reveals
Wings of Hope Supporters
Boeing Funds SOAR into STEM Growth With $100,000 Grant
On Saturday, Nov. 11, Monique Bynum, community investor for Boeing, presented Wings of Hope with a ceremonial $100,000 check at the organization’s Career Exploration Fair which was held in the Wings of Hope hangar to coincide with the final session of the fall SOAR into
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
Board & Staff
Wings of Hope Promotes Amy Cole Buehler to President
On Aug. 8, 2023, the Wings of Hope Board of Directors announced Amy Cole Buehler as the organization’s new president. Buehler, who had been serving as interim president since December 2022, is the first woman to helm the organization which is celebrating its 60th anniversary
Wings of Hope Receives $2.5 Million Gift from Donald and Ruth Malvern Foundation
Malvern legacy will continue to fund hope and healing for years to come Photo caption (above): Don Malvern & Larry Lemke in 2003. In the summer of 2023, Wings of Hope received two gifts totaling $2,544,565, one from the Donald and Ruth Malvern Foundation ($27,142)
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
Wings of Hope Promotes Amy Cole Buehler to President
On Aug. 8, 2023, the Wings of Hope Board of Directors announced Amy Cole Buehler as the organization’s new president. Buehler, who had been serving as interim president since December 2022, is the first woman to helm the organization which is celebrating its 60th anniversary
Wings of Hope Receives $2.5 Million Gift from Donald and Ruth Malvern Foundation
Malvern legacy will continue to fund hope and healing for years to come Photo caption (above): Don Malvern & Larry Lemke in 2003. In the summer of 2023, Wings of Hope received two gifts totaling $2,544,565, one from the Donald and Ruth Malvern Foundation ($27,142)