Make-A-Wish helicopter flights, Grand Rapids

If ever there was a feel good story, this is it. It’s all about kids and fun and flying, and it started with a simple idea – one that Alticor pilot Pat Rollins had about a year ago. “I was thinking about all the great resources we have here in Aviation, and thought, ‘Why not tie in with a charity and use our helicopter to give rides to kids?’”

In the meantime, the company had established a relationship with Make-A-Wish as part of the One by One campaign; and Chris Wilson, Director–Global Sourcing Support, serves on Make-A-Wish’s wish-granting committee. So the wheels (or rotors!) were already turning.

The Make-A-Wish organization loved the idea, too. And on August 23, 2006, Carissa became the first Make-a-Wish child to leave her cares behind for a little while as she smiled down at the world below. Since then, five others have had the same thrill, one they’ll never forget.

“You can’t imagine how the kids’ faces light up when we take off,” says Tania Cook, Executive Secretary–Aviation Administration. “And the parents are moved by the whole experience, too. One dad told us it was the first time they’d ever been on an aircraft; his daughter has been in and out of hospitals for years, so they hadn’t been able to do much. They’re so appreciative, they just can’t thank us enough.”

Alticor pilots fly the kids through downtown and around Alticor World Headquarters, but the kids’ favorite part is going over their own houses. “Marissa was on a flight last month, and when she looked down, all her friends and neighbors were wav­ing up at her. It was an unbelievable moment,” says Robin Horder-Koop, Vice-President–Corporate Relations, who’s often on hand to welcome the families.

Siblings are included, too. And the helicopter ride is just part of the fun. They also tour Alticor’s hangar and get to sit in the pilot’s seat of one of the Gulfstream jets.

“Carissa, who’s in a wheelchair, started beaming the minute she got on the jet, even before we boarded the helicopter,” says her mom, Vonda. “She loved everything! Then later, they presented her with a photo scrapbook, which she still looks through all the time. Everyone was so nice. We really appreciate the ‘gift’ Alticor gave our family that day. I said to my husband later, ‘You can tell those people all really like their jobs.’”

Pilot Terry Thiele says, “It’s a real memory maker for the kids, especially when you see what many of them have been through. Lots of them get tears in their eyes, they’re so happy.”

The kids aren’t the only ones who get teary-eyed. Moms, dads, and lots of Alticor folks choke up at the events, too. Like one recent night when Kerri and Bob of Rockford arrived with their son Jonah, a Make-A-Wish “ambassador,” and his three brothers.

After the family ride – which included, to their delight, a flight over the Rockford football field while a game was in play – Kerri was overcome with emotion, which started a chain reaction and soon everybody was crying! “I was just really touched by everything they did for us,” she says. “We felt so welcome. Afterwards we had snacks with cookies shaped like helicopters. It was a very, very special day for our family.”

And everyone gladly pitches in to make it all happen, from Tania who handles the details to Jackie Carr, Aircraft Line Tech–Aviation Maintenance, who makes each of the kids a scrapbook, to Kirk Bajdek, Aircraft Technician–Aviation Maintenance, who gives the tours, to the clean up crew, the pilots, and people like Robin and Rick Fiddler, Director–Aviation, who show up, often after hours, to help.

Even TIGG’s, Aviation’s catering company, does its part. “When they found out what the cookies and snacks were for, they said, ‘No charge, it’s on us,’” says Pat, adding that he’s “really proud to work for this company. We don’t just make products – we make a difference. And it’s been very rewarding to be part of this whole process.”

The Foundation’s Wish Manager Janelle Gunn says the helicopter rides are a great way to give a child a boost he might need after he’s already been on his Make-A-Wish trip, as was the case for Alex, 10. Alex has severe special needs, and he had taken his big Wish trip back in May of 2005. “He had a period last summer where he wasn’t doing very well, so early fall was perfect timing for his helicopter ride,” says Janelle. “The rides give the kids something to get enthused about again, and that’s one of the really nice things about them.”

It also helps them sustain their excitement when their trips are in the future, she says. Eric, 5, who has acute lympho-blastic leukemia, is going on a Disney Cruise next spring for his Wish, and the helicopter ride provided just what he needed in the meantime: a day of fun and lots of smiles.

In fact, Alticor is sponsoring the Make-A-Wish trip – a Caribbean cruise – for Cassidy, who has cystic fibrosis. Cassidy has endured much in her young life; her mom died of cancer and her brother Kyle is also a Make-A-Wish child. Cassidy and her family were on the last helicopter ride of the season in October (the helicopter doesn’t fly in winter), and she had an extra surprise waiting for her when she arrived at the hanger: Miss Michigan, Angela Corsi, was there to welcome her!

Although there wasn’t enough room for Angela to go on the ride, “We had a wonderful tour of the facility and planes, and after the family returned, we enjoyed a party fit for a princess—Cassidy wore my crown while she nibbled on chocolate-covered strawberries,” says Miss Michigan. “I’d just like to say, thank you, Alticor, for bringing so much happiness to these children.”

Cancer, leukemia, heart surgeries, bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy, blood tests, hospitals … the Make-A-Wish kids all have life-threatening conditions that make their lives incredibly difficult. “It’s also very hard on the parents and siblings,” says Development Director Gerilyn May. “So we don’t just work with the child who has the illness (which is not always terminal). Our mission is ‘to provide hope, strength, and joy to the families we serve.’

“We always try to find ways for donors to make personal connections to our families, and this is a wonderful opportunity to do that,” adds Gerilyn about the helicopter rides. “These experiences help bring the whole family closer. And they can help sustain a child’s hope or keep her excited until her Make-A-Wish trip happens. It’s also a great way for us to say Thank You to the families who are ambassadors for us. It’s very uplifting for our staff, too. It’s such a neat thing all the way around. We can’t begin to convey our appreciation to the people at Alticor for doing this.”