Thank You, Volunteers

April 24, 2020 - To All EAA Volunteers:

April is National Volunteer Month, an opportunity to especially recognize those people who give of their time, talents, and themselves to make their world a better place. We at EAA know the importance of volunteers. They make everything happen for our organization and for grassroots aviation throughout the country. So this week we want to make a special point of saying thanks!

EAA volunteers provided more than 250,000 hours of service at Oshkosh alone over the past year. Most of that time was during and surrounding AirVenture, of course, but the year-round activities in our museum, on the grounds, and in the aircraft maintenance hangar also added thousands of hours. Every facet of EAA depends on volunteers to step forward with their knowledge and enthusiasm. That includes tens of thousands of pilots who have flown more than 2 million Young Eagles and the supportive ground volunteers with them. It's also found in EAA chapter activities, as volunteer technical counselors and flight advisors, and as EAA representatives in local aviation committees. Each person and each hour dedicated to aviation makes EAA a better organization.

While EAA survives and thrives through its volunteers, all of us who volunteer also discovered rewards that we never expected. We have made new friends within our chapters, at the local airport, and at Oshkosh. We have made possibilities become realities for those dreaming of flying. And we have formed a stronger bond among ourselves as an aviation community. It's as EAA founder Paul Poberezny often said of Oshkosh, but is true of all EAA activities: "We may come for the airplanes, but we come back for the people."

So a humble thank-you goes out to each of you. Keep up the great work! And encourage others to join you. Sometimes a new, dedicated volunteer only needs to be asked.

Warmest regards,
Jack J. Pelton
EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board