Annually, on December 7, the world recognizes the aviation community and its impact on our lives. This year, we are joining the celebration to acknowledge our excellent partners at Airlink, who have allowed us to expand our operational reach to areas we had never dreamed of reaching.
MDR's first partnership with Airlink to fly volunteers in and out of Amory, MS.
In 2022, we pushed ourselves further than ever by deploying to Fort Myers, FL. After a successful mission to serve those in the wake of Hurricane Ian, the Team realized that by flying our volunteers into disaster areas, we could serve more people further away for extended periods. Soon after this deployment, we partnered with Airlink to change how we deployed our members. In 2023, Airlink provided Minuteman Disaster Response with 39 responder flights, saving $35,663 USD. Because of their support, we could deploy to areas across the United States, like Berry, VT, that we would otherwise never be able to serve.
The Berry, VT Deployment would not have been possible without flights provided by Airlink and United Airlines.
So this year, we are saying thank you to American Airlines, United Airlines, Airlink and its financial donors, as well as the aviation community for allowing us to continue to provide assistance in the immediate aftermath of a disaster through the deployment of highly trained and equipped volunteers.
Assistant Executive Director Eric Burkes meets with the Airlink team in November 2023.