Wings of Hope Hosts Holiday Luncheon, Honors Volunteers of the Year

By Carmelo Turdo

Wings of Hope hosted their annual holiday luncheon December 7 at their World Headquarters facility at Spirit of St. Louis Airport. Wings of Hope Board members, staff, volunteers and their families and friends gathered in the hangar for food and fellowship in a festive atmosphere. An awards ceremony was also held to honor Wings of Hope volunteers for years of service, and three Volunteer of the Year awards were also presented. 

A great variety of delicious food was ready for the guests when they arrived, and Wings of Hope President Amy Cole Buehler greeted everyone as they lined up for the lunch buffet.  

Three Volunteer of the Year award winners were announced during the luncheon. The first awardee was Ed Schertz, a legend in Wings of Hope service and well-known St. Louis area pilot and A&P/IA. He began his aviation career with Wings of Hope in 1971 with the intent of serving in a humanitarian role throughout Central and South America. Since then, he has amassed an incredible record of service that deserved his own story when he received the FAA's highest awards, the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award and the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award, in 2022. His award was presented by last year's winner, Rich Emery.   

The second Volunteer of the Year awardee was Gregg Peterson, who became a Wings of Hope volunteer less than two years ago and has already made a significant impact. He has contributed greatly to improvements in building maintenance and groundskeeping, and since his retirement, he enjoys putting his efforts into something that benefits the community and the mission of Wings of Hope. His award was presented by last year's winner, George Jefferson.

The third Volunteer of the Year was Nicole Maloy, Director of Volunteer Fulfillment. She began her service with Wings of Hope as a volunteer five years ago, and for the last several years she has been on the senior staff. She is responsible for maintaining and growing the volunteer corps along with the reception team who cheerfully greets visitors each day. Her award was presented by last year's winner, Chris Whitenack.

Two Ruth's Chris Steak House gift certificate raffle prizes were drawn by Holly Berthold, Director of Development. Medical Relief and Air Transport volunteer pilot Phil Koch and volunteer mechanic Larry Masters were this year's winners. 

The Aero Experience thanks Wings of Hope for another year of "Changing and Saving Lives Through the Power of Aviation," and we look forward to what we can do together in the coming year!