Thank You EAA AirVenture Museum Docents

April 14, 2016 - April 10-16 marks National Volunteer Week. Volunteers are the heart and soul of EAA. From the 5,000-plus that make AirVenture come to life, to the good folks that volunteer their time to tour with the B-17, it is the thousands of volunteers giving their time and passion that carry on Paul Poberezny's legacy spreading the gospel of aviation. One group in particular plays a very special role for the organization – they are the docents of the EAA AirVenture Museum. Three hundred days a year, the museum docents welcome guests, give tours, run educational programs, and staff special events at the museum. Docents bring the people and stories associated with the aircraft and artifacts in the museum to life and inspire thousands of youth with the possibilities that aviation offers. In 2015, the museum docents gave more than 6,000 hours of their time and knowledge to the museum! 

In gratitude for everything the docents do, EAA hosts an annual docent appreciation banquet. This year it was held on Monday, April 11 in the museum Founders’ Wing with an excellent dinner provided by the Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel and Convention Center. Before the meal, special gift certificates were given to each docent in the spirit of National Volunteer Week, and those who volunteered 100 hours or more in the past year were recognized for their contributions. Five in particular were recognized for the extraordinary time and dedication they gave in 2015: Leon Lutje with 565 volunteer hours logged, Bob Havens with 338 hours, Ruth Vorpahl with 257.5 hours, Phil Voights with 228.5, and Phil Myrkle with 210 hours logged. 

After the meal, the crowd was regaled with the history of the Zeppelin airships by local historian John M. Mellberg. It was a wonderful evening of fellowship in recognition of the passion and dedication of our museum docents.