VansAirForce.net Charity Page

Why This Section Exists:

1/3/08
I have a plan. I'd like to use this site's popularity to give something back to the world. Nothing fancy, nothing complex, really nothing more than giving aid to folks who need it and promoting the efforts of other RV folks around the world doing the same. Over the past four years or so we've raised over $42,000 for two charities in New Mexico while attending the 'LOE RV Fly-In'. That's a great start, but I can help do more. We'll need a place to put this type news, and you're looking at it. I've added a 'Charity' menu choice on the front page that will bring you here.
The VansAirForce.net 'charity cap' costs $7 per cap to make and we mark it up $5 for the Make A Wish Foundation of N. Texas in memory of Julian Avery. If it has a on it somewhere, all the proceeds go to charity (and it'll be on all the stuff from now on).
Every six months or so I get a check for about $40 from CafePress, my commission on VansAirForce.net products sold in there. Those go to charity from now on.
Here's the 'put your money where your mouth is' sentence: From this point forward, nothing with a VansAirForce.net logo on it will be sold unless all the profits go to charity. Will it be a lot of money? Probably not that much in the grand scheme of things, but it'll put a smile on my face when I write the checks.
If your local RV group does something for charity, please let me know. If you fly an Angel Flight mission in your RV, let me know. If you fly supplies to aid in storm relief with your RV, let me know. I'd like to spotlight all these type stories on this page.
Let's help some folks.

Doug Reeves
Delta Romeo, LLC.

VansAirForce.net comes to you courtesy RV-6 builder/owner Doug Reeves.

Charity Section (RVators giving back)
Home

Recent RV Community Charitable Actions: (got some news to report?)

4/27/09
RV Community Act of Charity: John Trollinger (RV-10 Empcone) Is Trying To Raise $1,000 For Diabetes
"I am riding my bicycle 100 miles to raise money for diabetes. This is my third year doing the ride and I am trying to reach $1000. Here is a link to my event." Jon is 'jtrollin' in the forums.
4/21/09
GOAL REACHED!!!
Scott Schmidt (RV-10 builder/pilot) is leading (lead) the charge to raise $1000 for the Death Valley Walk For Life organization. Discussed in his latest trip write-up story.
- Update: 100%
[ed. Long story short...guy flies in...eats at restaurant...sees lady in need....decides to raise $1000. Scott, you are an perfect example of what makes the RV community so special. dr]
3/1/09
VHF Squadron Flight Supports Children's Harbor ....Mr. Mike Ballard
1/30/09
$500 To American Cancer Society....Mr. Kevin Benziger
Here is how the story goes:
   I am a car guy that is building an RV-8A. I also have a small Aircraft Broker Service on the side. Back in June of 2008 I had a Rv-6A owner from Texas call me to have me sell his plane. In talking with Tommy, he told me that he and a partner had bought the -6A a few months earlier and needed to sell because his partner couldn't pass a medical and the partnership was being disbanded. We discussed the price signed, a broker agreement and away I went. I did the usual Barnstormers and of course VAF's classified! To encourage buyers to use VAF, I offered $500.00 to a VAF charity if it sold from this site.
   Doug was very gracious and posted the -6A on the front page and gave it good press. I was blown away with the number of hits my ads took. The posting generated over 7,100 hits and after a long trip, the RV-6A has been sold. The new owner is out of Jacksonville, Florida and will be a VAFer soon, if he hasn't already joined. His brother-in-law, Bill, who flies a RV-8 out of North Carolina found the ad on VAF and helped Joe work out the details. On January 24th the plane left Texas and headed east. As promised in my ad, today I presented the American Cancer Society with a check for $500.00 and was glad to do it! Thanks for a great web site!
Kevin Benziger

   Check being presented to the American Cancer Society in the name of vansairforce.net
1/25/09
A Thank You From World Cataract Foundation....I got the following email/letter from Lori Hudson on the 23rd.

"We received a donation and would like to recognize the people involved. You are welcome to post all or some of the attached message. I've included a photo to go with the story if you'd like to show that. Anyway, we are very grateful for the donation. We are preparing to return to Ometepec February 21st where we hope to operate on about 200 more people.
In grateful appreciation,
Lori Hudson Executive Director World Cataract Foundation 901-379-0405"

Helping the World to See

Thanks to a network of events, World Cataract Foundation has received a generous donation. Dr. James Freeman from Memphis, Tennessee purchased some parts for his airplane. After discovering the parts weren’t exactly what was needed, Dan and Patricia Horton from Wetumpka, Alabama purchased what they could use and then arranged the sale of the remaining parts to G. Randy Sachau, DDS from Spearfish, South Dakota. At the request of Dr. Freeman, the Hortons and Dr. Sachua donated the proceeds from the sale of the parts to World Cataract Foundation. A huge thanks to Dan and Patricia Horton, Dr. G. Randy Sachau and Dr. James Freeman.

World Cataract Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to helping restore sight to those who are visually impaired or completely blind from cataracts.

For thirty-eight years WCF has sent teams to serve the underprivileged in Ometepec, Guerrero, Mexico. Our forty-member team arrived in Ometepec on November 15th and performed 239 surgeries. These people do not have access to eye care and look forward to our visits each year. In addition to the local Mexican population, we see many Amuzgos and Mexticos.

During this last trip to Ometepec, a group from Tlamacazapa traveled 12 hours by bus, each one desperately hoping to receive a sight-restoring operation. Our ophthalmologists successfully operated on five patients. Malory Hendrickson, the missionary who accompanied this group to Ometepec, took them to see the ocean on their return trip. Attached is a photo of Catalina viewing the ocean for the first time in her life. You’ll notice she still has her patch on from cataract surgery. She kept asking Malory, “Aren’t you afraid of the waves?” She was overwhelmed by this massive body of water that seemed to never end. Just imagine, two days earlier she wouldn’t have been able to see this beautiful beach and ocean.

For more information about World Cataract Foundation go to www.worldcataract.org or call 901-379-0405.
VAF Community Raises $12,884 for the Lee and Beulah Moor Children's Home and the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope at LOE'08. More details at www.LandofEnchantmentFlyIn.com.
9/25/08
Donation Check #2 Delivered. Make-A-Wish North Texas Gets $8,000 Thanks To The RV Community
   Yesterday I took our daughter out of school for a few hours so she could accompany me as I met with Ken Avery down at the Make-A-Wish North Texas office in downtown Fort Worth. You're probably already aware that 100% of all profits from VansAirForce.net logo items go to charity (past, present and future). You'll be happy to hear that the latest batch of shirts and such raised $8,000 for Make-A-Wish North Texas in memory of Julian Avery (www.juliansworld.org). There are a couple hundred shirts left if you want to help us raise some more!!!
   When you see a VansAirForce.net shirt or cap, you are looking at charity in action, and I can't thank you enough for helping.

a) Impressing Audrey with my printing skills.
b) Audrey and Ken holding up the 'big check'
c) Horsin' around...

    Make-A-Wish North TX | Avery Tools | Delta Romeo,LLC
8/26/08
RV Community Charity Act
...organized by Jeff Point - started with a lost tool found at OSH. $350 raised so far (accepting donations through the end of the weekend). Where the money goes
4/16/08
Chad Jensen Sells Polished Prop - Gives 51% of Profits to Make A Wish
...uses the VAF forum classifieds to raise over $300 for Make A Wish.
"I had a little fun with Photoshop tonight...took a picture of the check that went to Make-A-Wish, and merged it with a goofy pic of myself to appear as though I'm holding a huge check. I've always wanted to present one of those huge checks!
LOL!! :o)
Chad Jensen VAF#755"

The Idea:
"I have the original propeller from my old 1968 Cherokee 180 taking up space in my "airplane room" in my house, and I'd like to put together an auction-type sale to raise some money for the Make A Wish Foundation that VAF supports. This propeller is not currently airworthy, and I don't know where the logs are, if it ever had a log. It certainly could be airworthy with an annual and/or overhaul. There is an AD on this prop that can be taken care of with an overhaul, at least that's what I've been told by the prop shop. It is a beautiful prop that we had taken down to the bare aluminum, and I've done some initial polishing on. Details...Sensenich 76EM8S5-0-60, serial number 7488. 76" diameter, 60" pitch for cruise. When it came off the airplane, it had about 4,500TT, and about 1,000 SMOH. I have no proof of this. These propellers are installed on, but not limited to the following aircraft: Piper PA-28-180, PA-28-181, American General Aircraft Holding Co., Inc. (formerly Gulfstream American) AA-5 series, Beech B23 and C23, Cessna 172Q, Avions Pierre Robin R-3000/160, among others."

How It Went Down:
"The prop is officially sold to Bob Brown for $600!" Over $300 goes to charity!!! Great idea, Chad.

3/22/08
RV Community Charity News (Jack Edwards 2nd Annual Fly-In Raises $4,600 for the American Cancer Society)
...this PIREP from Mike (Fossil) Ballard.
"Sat. flying at Gulf Shores, Alabama, Jack Edwards 2nd Annual Flyin raised $4,600 dollars for the American Cancer Society. The attached photos are 5 RV-8s and pilots of the VHF (Veterans) Squadron doing the brief and subsequent flybys at JKA. The pilots include Nomad, Jato, Toga, Snake, and Fossil with photos by J3 and Bug."
Mike (Fossil) Ballard
3/18/08
Where The Money Goes
...an audio clip from Jennifer Trotter of the N.Texas office of Make A Wish discussing where the money raised selling the VansAirForce.net baseball caps goes. Caps cost $7 to make. We up the price by $5 (which all goes to charity). So far we've raised over $1,200 - expecting to write another check of the same amount in a month or two.
3/6/08
Donation Check #1 Is Delivered
On Thursday, 3/6/08, Susie and I met Ken Avery down at the North Texas office of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This first check represents 100% of the profits from the first batch of (240) VansAirForce.net charity caps (more on why I'm doing this at right) and was donated in memory of Julian Avery.
Left to right: Me, Paige Kelly (Make A Wish volunteer) and Ken Avery. The T-shirt selection I chose was not an accident <g>.

fmi: What this money goes towards

Susie Reeves photograph.
1/22/08
Kurt Klewin
(RV-6A builder, Iraqi Freedom Veteran...and marathon runner)
"snip...I’ve decided to run this year’s event for a purpose a bit greater than my continued quest for 3 hours of pain followed by 3 days of difficulty walking. I’ve decided to run this year and raise money for an organization called Snowball Express. As some of you may know, Snowball Express is a non-profit organization that raises money to send spouses and children of service members who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan."
more info about helping Kurt out
01/03/08 - All profits from items sold with VansAirForce.net logo on it pledged to charity from this point forward.
10/07/07 - $14,000 raised for the Lee & Beulah Moor Children's Home and the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope during the 2007 'Land of Enchantment RV Fly In'.