Allows Seriously Ill Children To "Leave Their Problems On The Ground"

By ANN Correspondent Aleta Vinas

At the opening meeting of the Women in Aviation international Conference on Thursday, Maria Weybrecht was presented with the Chuck Yeager Foundation Scholarship. She hadn't applied for the scholarship; in fact, you can't apply for this scholarship. Instead, the winner is hand picked from all the scholarship applications that come in to WAI, with committee members "nominating" someone as they look through each of the other scholarships. How the use of the scholarship best exemplifies WAI's goals is also considered.

Weybrecht (above) won the scholarship for use in Kids in Flight, a non-profit organization founded by Weybrecht in 2003. The organization hosts a special day, called Wings of Wonder, for seriously ill children and their families to enjoy the wonders of aviation, including a free flight.

How did the lively, enthusiastic young lady decide to work with these children?  She's been there. To look at Weybrecht you would not even guess that she's been battling thyroid cancer for over three years. She was diagnosed at 19.

"I'm stubborn and it's stubborn," said Weybrecht. The money is on Weybrecht to win the battle, and the war.

Weybrecht's diagnosis came only a month after earning her Private ticket. "I didn't even get to enjoy it." 

Her lifelong dream was shattered by cancer. Yet, while one door closed, another opened. Weybrecht says, "I was always fascinated by non-profits."  She thought when she was "rich, old and retired" she'd start a non-profit or volunteer for one. The whole idea of "you may not have forever" came to Weybrecht's mind while being treated.

Not one to dwell on the negative, Weybrecht said, "I can do this, and with the help of really great people it happened."  Kids in Flight was born.

Family, friends and corporate America pitched in. Weybrecht observed "anyone that flies, there's an unspoken bond."  She made phone calls to everyone she knew and then some. The first Wings of Wonder event was put together in three weeks.

"People felt they couldn't do enough." Weybrecht notes.

The initial event was small. It was held at Lost Nation Airport in Ohio in October 2003. They brought over children from a nearby Ronald McDonald House. Weybrecht felt "a certain tie to those kids... I was one of them 6 months ago." She stayed at a Ronald McDonald House in New York during part of her treatments.

At this first event there were about 30 total participants, plus the pilots and volunteers. There were two planes flying the families. There was also food, games, educational exhibits and giveaways. Each year the numbers have grown. Weybrecht sees the day as a way for the families to bond, create memories and leave behind some of the bad, for a while.

The hope for this year is 100 free flights, using ten aircraft. Says Weybrecht "The pilots that volunteer are incredible people. They don't mind doing that up and down, up and down, up and down." 

Burke Lakefront Airport in downtown Cleveland (OH) is the location for this years Wings of Wonder. The event is scheduled for July 22, 2006. The bigger airport will allow for military static displays in addition to the usual games, food and fun.

Weybrecht's vision is "to go national," but first she wants to work out the kinks in Cleveland. Additionally, she wants to develop an educational curriculum for sensitivity training for use in the classroom.

Using an interactive character named "Winglet", Weybrecht wants to introduce and explain the reasons why some kids may be "different". She also hopes the program can help parents have the answers. Business major, Weybrecht, is just starting the marketing research for the project. She knows there's a need, but of course, it's the funding to create and distribute the program that will be the biggest hurdle.

Every penny donated is put towards the Kids in Flight/Wings of Wonder. No one, including Weybrecht, takes any kind of salary. This is why Weybrecht is living at home. She is a graduate student at Cleveland State and spends about 30 hours a week on Kids in Flight business. There's no room for a job.

Weybrecht's best friend, also named Maria, is Weybrecht's right arm. Her family is there too, along with her other friends. There's an advisory board of media people, FAA, lawyers who donate their time for the project.

Eventually Weybrecht would like to make a living but her priority lies with the kids and giving them a day of freedom and "leaving their problems on the ground."

FMI: www.kidsinflight.org