Bringing Joy and Hope Through the Wonder of
Flight
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Spring Newsletter April 2020
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We hope that all of you are staying well during these challenging times. A big thanks to every person who is working on the front lines to keep our health care, food supply, pharmacy, and other critical resources strong.
You are the heroes who walk among us
. We encourage everyone to follow the Governor’s guidelines to practice social distancing, to stay at home when possible, and to use face masks in public. Although Above the Clouds' in-person programs are temporarily suspended, ATC is working remotely to continue to bring joy and hope through the wonder of flight to kids facing adversity.
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Announcing our New "Dream Flyover" Program
Sure, the current crisis prevents the kids from coming to the airport, but ATC solves that problem with our new Dream Flyover Program by bringing ATC's special brand of joy to the kids! One thousand feet of social distancing strengthened connections and support last week for a Future Dream Flyer through ATC's very first Dream Flyover. ATC offers Dream Flyovers to kids whose Dream Flights have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 23rd Dream Pilot Stuart Auerbach circled his helicopter overhead to surprise Jake in Andover, just in time for his 10th birthday. Andover Firefighters Local 1658 and Andover Police led a drive-by along with Jake's friends to make Jake's Flyover a full ground-to-air friendship flight!
Jake's Mom said,
"Thank you for everything you did to make Jake's Dream Flyover so special. Words truly cannot express how grateful we are for the phenomenal expression of community love and support. It was truly 'uplifting,' an amazing experience, and the best kind of gift that life has to offer." Click below to see the video!
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January 18
th
was an amazing Dream Flight Day for
Dedham Public Schools students:
Ross, Wendy, Emani, Alyssa, Chris, Kervens, and Schneider. The temperature was in the single digits, but hearts were warmed by the dozens of Dedham District School staff, who volunteered on ATC’s Joy Maker Ground Crew to cheer on their students. Alyssa’s entry into the January 18
th
Dream Flight Memory Book summed up what we heard from every Dream Flyer:
“It was a huge honor to be able to fly today. It seemed my troubles flew away the higher I got into the sky. Special thanks to our pilot Bobby for flying with us. It was incredible.”
See our
and
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Cadet and Discovery Flyers
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Our Cadet Flyers have been "grounded" but are continuing ground school learning thanks to Zoom and our volunteer Certified Flight Instructors Kevin Collareno, Greg Ryan, Greg Bongiorno, and Steve Belmore. We are in touch with our Discovery Flyers, too, and are anxious to continue mentoring them in the air once we have been cleared to fly.
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Remembering
Bob Kustka, ATC Board Member and Friend
It is with an exceptionally heavy heart that we share the passing of our beloved board member,
Bob Kustka
. Bob was a founding board member a
nd has be
en a key champion of ATC from the start.
Bob was part of every smile, every hope, and all the joy ATC has shared since the very beginning. Today we honor and salute Bob for helping ATC thrive. Godspeed, Bob. You will forever be the wind beneath our wings whispering "Let your Dreams Take Flight."
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April was National Poetry Month. To celebrate, we thought we'd share a beautiful poem written by one of our Dream Flyers, Nick Coleman.
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The 2020
Virtual
Rodman Ride
The kids are still there, the need is greater than ever, and the funds raised for ATC through the Ride for Kids are critical to our continued success. Although the Rodman Ride will take place in September as a virtual ride, w
e are excited to announce that
the Rodman team has committed to help us raise funds by providing use of their fundraising platform. Additionally, ATC is planning a Fun Ride Alternative (FRA). More details to follow!
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#GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of unity, will take place next Tuesday May 5, 2020, as a response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19. We hope you will consider supporting ATC!
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Thanks to our Platinum Sponsor!
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Above the Clouds is grateful for the continued significant support of Piedmont Airlines. In addition to financial support (and "swag bags"), ATC is honored to have many Piedmont pilots join us as pilots and ground crew on Dream Flight Days!
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125 Access Road
Norwood, MA 02062
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info@abovethecloudskids.org
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