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The Online Magazine FOR and ABOUT Southside Virginia |
3/28/2024 |
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Fighter Flight Against CancerFlying For A Cure
November 6th - 8th, 2009
Back in the July issue we ran a story about a model aircraft Fly-in event put on by the Keeling Sky Raiders RC Club. At that time we learned that the Fly-In was put on to raise funds to sponsor another event, The Fighter Flight Against Cancer. The Keeling event was successful in that it raised enough money, along with generous donations from many local people and businesses to cover the expenses to put on the November event. On November 6th - 8th. 2009 the Keeling Sky Raiders turned out in force to host the second annual Fighter Flight Against Cancer at the Danville Regional Airport. According to Mike Martin, one of the club members and event organizer, in 2007 his father Kenneth �Marty� Martin, a retired Air Force man with a passion for World War II aircraft, lost his 10-year fight against Melanoma cancer. In keeping a promise to his father, Mike enlisted the support of the club to put on the Fighter Flight Against Cancer as a way to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
The 2009 Fighter Flight Against Cancer ran from Friday November 6th through Sunday November 8th. We were able to get out to the event on Friday afternoon, get a few pictures and talk to some of the pilots and organizers. If you have never been to a major Fly-In you can't appreciate the atmosphere. The camaraderie is so strong you can almost feel it. The talent of the pilots is impressive and the creativity displayed by builders of some of the aircraft is amazing.
One of the pilots we spoke to had a bad start to the weekend.
Other commitments kept us from returning on Saturday or Sunday, but Terri Banes and club president Mark Francisco were there for the weekend and were good enough to send us many great pictures. [See Photo Gallery] Terri, Mark and Mike Martin also kept us informed about the results. Final tally for the weekend had over 60 pilots with around 150 -180 aircraft,
On Sunday November 29th, we had the good fortune to witness the final results of the Fighter Flight success story. Early that morning we received a phone call to come out to the Sky Raiders home field at 2:15 PM to watch as the club presented a check to Robert Stowe, community manager for the Southside region of the American Cancer Society. For their efforts, after covering all expenses, and banking seed money for next year's planned event, the Sky Raiders were able to donate $1,300 to the American Cancer Society to help find a cure.
See more pictures of the event >> Related Links: Fighter Flight Photo Gallery
Fighter Flight Against Cancer
American Cancer Society
Keeling Sky Raiders
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