Virginia Ninety-Nines Organizing Weekend Event

Pilots from the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles Program will be giving children, ages 8-17, free aircraft rides during the Christmas Toy Airlift on December 13 at Virginia's Chesterfield County Airport (FCI).

As ANN reported last month, the state's Ninety-Nines chapter will be collecting new and unwrapped toys for families of military and wounded veterans during their annual Christmas Toy Airlift. Toys will be collected at airports around the state until December 13, when volunteer pilots from each location will fly them into Chesterfield County Airport from 9:00 am-4:00 pm.

Those who drop their donations off at FCI will have an added incentive. Airplane rides will be given from 10 am-3 pm, weather permitting. Children must have parent or guardian present.

Santa will fly into Chesterfield Airport at 10 am and greet children inside the terminal until 2 pm A rain date is scheduled for December 14. The National Guard will also be on site to receive the toys and transport them for distribution.

There's still time for donations to be dropped off at the following locations: Hanover Airport; Chesterfield Airport; Dinwiddie Airport; New Kent Airport; Virginia Aviation Museum adjacent to RIC; Boulevard Flower Gardens, 2100 Ruffin Mill Rd.; Colonial Heights; Batters Choice Sporting Goods, 3105 S. Crater Rd., Petersburg; and The Hopewell News, 516 E. Randolph Rd., Hopewell.

FMI: www.doav.virginia.gov, www.ninety-nines.org