The Gathering Exceeds Gift Goal

July 27, 2019 - The Gathering, presented by Textron Aviation, was an impactful evening once again in 2019, honoring several people who have been important to EAA and the aviation community.

One of the most special aspects of the evening was Jack Roush's tribute to his lifelong friend, Col. C.E. "Bud" Anderson. Anderson, as well as Col. Charles McGee, received prolonged standing ovations for their accomplishments as aviators and as American icons.

The evening was also successful in terms of securing resources for EAA's most vital education outreach and advocacy programs. The Gathering had a stated goal of $2.5 million heading in, and at the end of the night the total raised was more than $2.8 million. One of the features of the evening is always the customized Ford mustang, which sold for $400,000.

A record number of people participated, and the amount gathered is the largest amount secured in Gathering history. The silent and president's choice auctions started earlier this year, which made it possible for people who could not attend the event to get involved. These changes were a successful experiment that made it possible to secure more resources for the good of EAA.

"The Gathering last night was the heart of the EAA effect in action," said EAA vice president of philanthropy and donor stewardship Ken Strmiska. "The increased dollars that we were able to raise over the goal allows us to have more impact through our programs, and to carry out EAA's mission of spreading The Spirit of Aviation to a greater extent."