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| By Carmelo Turdo |
A great variety of delicious food was ready for the guests when they arrived. Wings of Hope Board Chairman, David Agee, and other board members greeted everyone as they gathered for the lunch buffet.
Wings of Hope is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization serving those in need around the world for over sixty years. The mission of Wings of Hope is "Changing and Saving Lives Through the Power of Aviation." That mission is accomplished directly through Global Humanitarian Programs and the U.S. Medical Relief and Air Transport (MAT) program. The Aero Experience thanks Wings of Hope for all they have accomplished, and we encourage everyone to support their mission now and in the coming year.
Peer-nominated Volunteer of the Year award winners were announced during the luncheon. The following Volunteer of the Year descriptions were provided by Wings of Hope.
Previous award winner Edward Schertz introduced the first awardee, Bernie Schmidt, a 20-year volunteer at Wings of Hope. He joined Wings of Hope through the urging of a friend with whom he served in the Knights of Columbus, and he has worked in Volunteer Fulfillment ever since.
"It's very satisfying to see how we're taking care of people on the African continent as well as South America - that's near and dear to my heart. And the MAT program - when you see the breadth of the whole mission, that's what grabs me, that's what keeps me."
The next awardee, Terry Finn, was introduced by previous award winner, Gregg Peterson. Terry Finn joined Wings of Hope in 2012 after retiring as an elementary school teacher. She volunteered in the Administration Department and then as a patient host in the Medical Relief and Air Transport (MAT) program. She is applying her newly-acquired Spanish language skills to facilitate communication with some of the patients taking MAT flights. Terry Finn also helps to coordinate alternative transportation for those patients Wings of Hope cannot accommodate, and she can be seen helping at Wings of Hope events throughout the year.
"It feels like home. I know a lot of people who have won it before, and it's very humbling to be included in that group."
Previous award winner, Nicole Maloy, introduced the next awardee, sixteen-year volunteer John Calcaterra. He joined as a regular Wings of Hope volunteer in 2008 after retiring from working IT for the State of Missouri. John Calcaterra is an essential member of the IT Team that recently implemented the system update project at Wings of Hope, and he fills in where needed to keep the IT system functioning smoothly. Along with his technical ability, he is known for having a positive outlook and displaying a sense of humor while serving at Wings of Hope.
"As a volunteer at a small shop like Wings of Hope, our team is dealing with all aspects of the IT system versus working in big government or corporate where networking is handled by a group, workstations are handled by a group, software deployment's handled by a group. We do all of that...In volunteer work, you don't get a paycheck, but you get the affirmation from the people you're working with."
Nicole Maloy also introduced the next awardee, 18-year volunteer Tom Otten. He joined Wings of Hope in 2006 after retiring from working at the GM Wentzville plant. Tom Otten has used his mechanical abilities to the benefit of Wings of Hope over the years - retrieving disassembled aircraft and other equipment as well as designing and building the Wings of Hope parade float. He is also known for his special Halloween remote-controlled devices, including this year's R2-D2 robot.
Dick Horowitz, Medical Relief and Air Transport program Chief Pilot, made a surprise announcement that MAT pilot Glen Phariss was retiring from flying missions for Wings of Hope. Following his introduction, Glen Phariss recounted stories from his numerous flights, emphasizing the satisfaction he received from each patient encounter. We thank him for his generous service as a volunteer MAT pilot!
