A WING AND A HEART - Long Island Benefit

Long Island, NY, June 3, 2006 – Angel Flight North East, a network of over 1100 pilots with over 70 of those pilots based right here on Long Island, will hold its first Long Island benefit—A Wing and A Heart—at the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale, New York from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. on June 22, 2006. The benefit will feature a dinner, silent auction, Warbird Flyby, special presentation by the founder of AFNE, VIP tours of the museum and a variety of raffle prizes. The Long Island benefit—A Wing and A Heart—is timely and aptly named, to raise awareness and funding to keep “Angel Flights” soaring for those in critical need.

Angel Flight NE—AFNE, is a member of the nationwide Angel Flight network of more than 6,000 general aviation pilots that are called on to fly ambulatory children and adults to various treatment centers for access to life-saving medical care—free of charge!

Angel Flight NE, a non-profit organization that has answered over 30,000 flight requests and has flown over 8 million miles, began its successful operations in May 1996. Free air transportation is provided to children and adults who need medical care but do not have access to commercial airlines, cannot afford to fly a commercial carrier, or cannot use any other mode of transportation due to their particular medical condition.

Pilots volunteer their aviation skills and time, fueling their own private airplanes to transport patients and families of patients for diagnosis and treatments that would not otherwise be available to them. Flights are provided as often as necessary. Emergency flights are reserved for those who need to visit critically ill or injured family members, for patients needing organ transplants, or for organ and blood donations. “We even make compassion flights and provide air care wherever there is a compelling human need,” says Larry Camerlin, founder of AFNE.

All of the flights are paid for by the pilots themselves, and transportation to and from airports for patients and families is provided by ground volunteers called “Earth Angels.” Mission coordination and community outreach/public education and pilot recruitment are paid for through generous contributions from corporate sponsors, organizations, charitable gifts, community service groups, churches and individuals.

“Our Long Island Angels are made up of over 70 Angel Flight Pilots and a growing corps of Earth Angels,” says Rudy Holesek, Volunteer Pilot and Committee Chair for A Wing and A Heart. Holesek continues, “We couldn’t ask for a more suitable location and time for the benefit—the American Airpower Museum that replicates the historic 1940’s era situated at Republic Airport on the first day of summer. Everyone will go home with something—especially a new sense of compassion and respect for our patients, their families and the volunteers of Angel Flight.”

For additional information about attending this event please contact Amy Camerlin at 978-505-9030.


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Angel Flight NE is a member of the nationwide Angel Flight America charitable network of over 6,000 general aviation pilots. Angel Flight NE is based at the Lawrence Municipal Airport in North Andover, MA. Angel Flight NE, founded in May, 1996 is a non-profit organization that receives requests for medical flights covering New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Angel Flight NE provides free air transportation by volunteer pilots in private aircraft for patients and their families who desperately need life-saving medical treatment. Our volunteer corps of over 1100 pilots and 80 Earth Angels (ground volunteers) is currently flying over 100 missions a week. Proceeds from the “A Wing and A Heart” Long Island Benefit will help provide even more flights for men, women and children who need access to critical medical care. Our Mission: “to facilitate access to healthcare by arranging and providing free air transportation in private aircraft by volunteer pilots.” For more information on how to get help from Angel Flight or to make a donation please call 1-800-549-9980, or visit the www.angelflightne.org website.


Long Island Media Contacts:

Rudy Holesek
Volunteer Pilot and Committee Chair for “A Wing and A Heart” LI benefit
631-835-8770
RHolesek@ApolloHVAC.com

Karen Ferraro
Committee member, “A Wing and A Heart” LI Benefit and Earth Angel
631-294-5686
karen@aklyn.com