The Sporty’s Foundation continued to advance its commitment to ensuring a robust future for tomorrow’s aviation professionals with bequests totaling $152,500 issued to a variety of aviation organizations and programs in 2015.
“The generous donations of our colleagues joined with funding from Sporty’s provided scholarships, museum programs, continuation of the Young Eagles Next Step initiative, aviation-themed Scouting activities and a host of other programs whose goal is to create the next generation of pilots and those who design and maintain the aircraft we fly,” said Sporty’s Founder and Chairman Hal Shevers.
The largest grant of funding from the Sporty’s Foundation was an $80,000 award to the Young Eagles Next Step initiative, according to the foundation’s annual report. Next Step helps youth who have taken a first aircraft ride under the EAA Young Eagles program pursue their enthusiasm for aviation with free and unlimited access online to Sporty’s Complete Pilot Training Course, and other benefits.
“Funded through the EAA/Sporty’s partnership in Next Step, the Sporty’s Foundation has made it possible for more than 35,000 Young Eagles to access Sporty’s online learn to fly course for free,” the foundation said in a new release.
Aviation scholarships received funding of $22,500 from the Sporty’s Foundation. Scouting programs received $21,000, aviation historical preservation efforts received $16,000, and aviation safety received $13,000, the annual report said.
A priority of the Sporty’s Foundation is to support science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Since its inception, the foundation has provided more than $1 million to assist groups and organizations in advancing STEM-related goals.
Overhead and administrative costs for the foundation are funded entirely by Sporty’s Pilot Shop, allowing every dollar donated to go to programs rather than administrative costs.
Now in its fifty-fourth year, Sporty’s, located at Ohio’s Clermont County Airport, has grown from a one-man operation launched by Shevers to the world's largest pilot shop and an iconic general aviation brand.
Tax-deductible online contributions to the 501(c)3 Sporty’s Foundation are accepted either as a one-time payment or a recurring monthly charge. For more information, visit the Sporty’s Foundation website.
Dan Namowitz
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