AOPA delivers check to Air Serv for tsunami relief
 Air Serv CEO and President Stuart Willcuts and AOPA President Boyer |
AOPA this week made good on its pledge of $25,000 to Air Serv International, a nonprofit humanitarian organization that has been working on the frontlines of tsunami relief efforts in Southeast Asia. AOPA President Phil Boyer presented the check to Air Serv CEO and President Stuart Willcuts at AOPA headquarters.
Shortly after the deadly earthquake and tsunami hit Southeast Asia on December 26, 2004, AOPA established the AOPA Tsunami Fund in partnership with Air Serv, an international humanitarian organization that uses aircraft to fly relief workers and supplies to disaster-stricken and war-torn areas around the world. Since then, AOPA members have donated nearly $100,000 to the fund. Combined with AOPA's matching pledge, that's nearly $125,000 raised to aid in the relief efforts.
"Air Serv's efforts since the Christmas weekend tsunami disaster and the major aftershock in March have been phenomenal," said Boyer. "It is a perfect example of the vital role of general aviation throughout the world."
"Air Serv is well known in the humanitarian community for being able to fly where other air carriers cannot - or will not - fly. That makes us a vital link to bringing relief to those in need, especially when airstrips have been destroyed, as they were in this disaster," said Willcuts. "We are still helping with the tsunami relief efforts today thanks in large part to the donations from AOPA and its members."
Air Serv International was founded more than 20 years ago to provide air transportation to a wide range of relief agencies including USAID, Doctors Without Borders, World Vision, Save the Children, the International Federation of the Red Cross, and CARE. The organization is critical in getting relief to areas hard hit by natural and man-made disasters and war-torn regions. Its pilots and ground crew based around the world are among the most highly skilled in aviation and often fly under extremely difficult conditions. They report that flying for Air Serv is a unique and rewarding opportunity to use their skills to do good.
April 21, 2005
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