Wright Flight, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation which was founded in 1986 in Tucson, Arizona by Robin Stoddard.
Robin, a Retired Air Force Reserve fighter pilot, noted the profound effect that airplanes have on youngsters.
He decided to use that interest to motivate kids to do better in school. Working almost single-handedly at first, he developed the program materials and organized a group of volunteers and pilots to teach the program and ultimately to fly the graduating students.
Since its humble beginnings, the program has grown significantly in both scope and size, with over 750 successful students graduating in the Tucson area during this school year and approximately 10,500 since its inception. New chapters are springing up across the country in addition to the Tucson headquarters and the Phoenix branch. North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Kansas, Missouri, Massachusetts and Florida have proven successful with their chapters.
The various chapters of Wright Flight involve the coordination of volunteers, pilots, schools, teachers, and business people from the surrounding community.
The task of choreographing this variety of volunteers is extensive.
11/2011 - Wright Flight was featured in the November issue of Arizona Aviation Journal. Click on this link to read the entire article.
9/12/11 - Wright Flight, Inc. was selected to receive the 2011 Outstanding Achievement in Public Benefit Award by the National
Aeronautic Association. The award was conferred on September 15 at a
ceremony in the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, and Wright Flight founder and executive director, Robin Stoddard, accepted the award on behalf of Wright Flight. The award was in recognition of its leadership in using the powerful motivator of aviation to challenge children to set higher goals for themselves. "This award means more to us than we can say," said Stoddard.
"While it's certainly a mark of distinction for the organization," he continued, "this award really honors our sponsors, volunteers and the countless children who have not only raised their grades, but experienced the profound challenges of flight. The emotional response that we get from every child that takes off in a Wright Flight airplane is a weekly reminder that we are doing the work we set out to do," said Stoddard, "and it's encouraging to hear regularly from
our alumni that have continued to stay on the right path."
Wright Flight is now on Facebook. Follow us by clicking the Facebook link on this page.
NEWS & UPDATES
Wright Flight Graduate
Jessica Cox on Ellen
TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tucson Electric Power (TEP) will present $100,000 in grants to 13 nonprofit organizations that improve the
health and well-being of at-risk children, teens and families.
TEP’s Grants That Make a Difference will be presented during an awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 4 at 10:30 a.m. at the UniSource Energy Tower, 1 S. Church Ave. The grants offer financial support to nonprofit groups that help improve the lives of others.
“Our Grants that Make a Difference program is designed to support well-designed programs that target some of our community’s greatest needs,” said Paul J. Bonavia, Chairman, President and CEO of TEP and its parent company, UniSource Energy Corporation (NYSE: UNS). “These awards represent a sound investment in our community’s future.”
Grant recipients were selected by a group of employee volunteers who evaluated more than 100 applications for funding. Committee members looked for programs with measurable and reasonable expectations offered by organizations that have demonstrated the financial and organizational stability to sustain their efforts. In many cases, the organizations selected have collaborated with other agencies to make the most of limited resources.
TEP Awards $100,000 in Grants to Groups Aiding Youth and Families in Need
Robin was on The Morning Blend on KGUN9 in Tucson. Click on the photo above to watch the segment.
HISTORY OF
WRIGHT FLIGHT
