SPRINGBROOK – It was a record-breaking year for Operation Food Lift.
Sky Wings Aviation Academy Ltd. celebrated its 25th annual Operation Food Lift at the Red Deer Airport earlier this fall.
The event was a fundraiser for the Red Deer Food Bank, and this year it raised just over $16,500 in cash and food donations.
“The amount of money we raised this time went past what we thought we would raise,” said Dennis Cooper, co-owner of Sky Wings Aviation. “We started at nine o’clock and we had close to 100 people here waiting to have breakfast and go flying.
“It was a good event,” he added.
The fundraiser began with a pancake breakfast followed by a barbecue later in the day. All proceeds from those events also went to the Red Deer Food Bank.
Visitors who brought in a $25 donation or the equivalent in non-perishable food items received a free 15-minute flight over Red Deer.
“We had local pilots who brought in their planes. We supplied them with fuel and they took people out over the city and back for a 15-minute ride,” said Cooper.
In addition to the food collected, Cooper noted the Red Deer Food Bank also receives donations of various other items, such as pots and pans, Christmas decorations, cutlery, Halloween costumes, light bulbs and other things.
Sky Wings Aviation had boxes of these items for purchase during the event.
“They have (these items) all set out on tables in the hangar and people come and they pick up a box and they can fill it right up for a cost of $10,” said Cooper. “They made over $1,000 on just that section this year.”
Cooper said they gave close to 280 plane rides with two local pilots, Sky Wings staff and Red Deer College graduates, all who volunteered their time for the day.
“The food bank supplies are the lowest they’ve been in 20 years,” he said. “Right now there’s a big need to feed.
“We’ve got second generations coming out to do this since we’ve been doing this for 25 years,” said Cooper. “In a small airplane you can look out, see the fall colours, see the city and have an enjoyable ride.”
