Story and photos courtesy of EAA Chapter 582
In early October, EAA Chapter 582 hosted a special Young Eagles rally for youths from The Program Inc., a community organization dedicated to mentoring young men from fatherless homes. In the organization’s own words, they exist to provide an opportunity for boys to develop their social and life skills, leading them to deal effectively with the demands of everyday life.
The mission of The Program Inc. resonated with EAA Chapter 582, and they felt it appropriate to offer a private rally just for these young men. (Editor’s note: EAA does allow chapters to host private rallies for specific groups, but it is important to keep in mind that the chapter must maintain sole control of the event.)
The chapter created an inclusive and welcoming environment for the 19 young men and their mothers. To kick off the event, the chapter played EAA’s video introducing Young Eagles Chairman Jimmy Graham and read a bit of his personal bio. Jimmy’s story particularly resonated with the group from The Program Inc.
In addition to the 19 Young Eagles flights provided, the chapter also set up a flight simulator and rib-building workshop. The simulator provided a nice introduction to what the flight would be like, especially for the youths feeling a bit more cautious about their flight. As for the wing ribs, each attendee was able to bring home theirs as a keepsake!
The Program Inc. expressed a tremendous amount of gratitude for EAA Chapter 582 and the Young Eagles volunteers. The generosity of these volunteers provided these young men with the gift of a new perspective, as each flight created an opportunity to experience courage and build their self-confidence.
While every Young Eagles rally is special experience, EAA Chapter 582 walked away feeling as though they had done a bit of extra good.