High flying notables joined fellow aviation buffs at the annual Frontiers of Flight Museum Gala on May 16. This year’s event, themed “Global Colors: Past and Present, was a nod to growth at DFW International Airport and George E. Haddaway Award recipient, Sean Donohue, CEO of DFW International Airport and honorary chair Sam Coats, Vice Chair DFW International Airport Board.
Dallas’ premier aviation event drew more than 500 attendees to celebrate accomplishments in aviation and raised more than $420,000 to support the Museum’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs, reaching more than 10,000 students each year.
NBC 5 Today Anchor Deborah Ferguson and WBAP Sports Anchor Steve Lamb led the crew as the 2015 Gala emcees, ensuring that all had a fun-filled experience.
The evening lifted off with a special appearance by the Liberty Jump Team, a WWII military style exhibition parachute group of active duty and veterans that honors veterans of all foreign wars. They embarked on a special ops mission in “Dirty 1/2 Dozen,” a short film produced for the 2015 Gala with cameos by Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, Ft. Worth Mayor Betsy Price and former Ft. Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief among other DFW International Airport board members and local business leaders.
Joining the crew as the keynote speaker was Amelia Rose Earhart, president of Fly With Amelia Foundation, and the youngest woman to fly around the world in a single engine aircraft.
The Frontiers of Flight Museum 2015 Gala commemorated DFW International Airport’s service to the North Texas community through its global connection to the world. During the event, the audience paid tribute to D/FW's Donohue who was recognized for his 28-year career as a leader in the aviation industry and for the significant impact the airport has made to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area since opening 1974
Joining Coats on the Frontiers of Flight Museum 2015 Gala Committee were: Eric Stroud, Hugh McElroy, Cheryl Sutterfield-Jones, Gina Ginsburg, Jess Hall, John Billimek and Heather Dickie.
Coats was particularly interested in using his role as the 2015 Gala chair to help further the Flight Museum’s mission to support education. “One of my primary objectives was to work with the Museum in support of its STEM education initiatives that prepare students for opportunities in aviation and space,” said Coats. Some of those initiatives include:
• A series of recently received grants that have allowed the Museum to expand its educational and outreach programs to over 12,000 students and develop and expand the STEM content and leadership programs for young women.
• Ongoing community sponsorships that support the Museum’s Flight School at Dallas Executive Airport. “This provides high-quality scientific instruction and introduction to career opportunities in the aviation industry to economically underserved children living in Dallas,” says Coats.
• A successful partnership with Blue Sky Education Foundation and Dallas ISD that introduced a hands-on six-week Science of Flight program last year to fourth and fifth graders in 14 DISD schools. The program has been expanded to 23 DISD schools this year.
The Frontiers of Flight Museum is a learning laboratory using aviation and space flight to encourage and promote student excellence in STEM education. In addition, the Museum has over 30 aircraft from the Wright Flyer to the one-of-a-kind Flying Pancake, the Apollo 7 spacecraft, 11 galleries, and over 35,000 historical artifacts on display. The Living History program features the portrayal of prominent personalities in aviation history who present both on-site and in the community. Visit http://www.flightmuseum.com/.