2020 Was NOT Kind To The Reno Air Race Organization

The future of the Reno Air races remains somewhat questionable as they struggle to deal with the damage caused by a serious accident some years ago, coupled with the most recent year's battle with Covid-19.

The Reno folks have been up-front about all this... "For more than 56 years, the National Championship Air Races has carried on a proud legacy. Now, that legacy is in jeopardy due to financial hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic. We are asking for help by launching a fund raising campaign to 'Save The Races' with the goal of raising $500,000 by the end of this year."

They added that, "Canceling was not a decision that was made lightly, and the repercussions have been significant both fiscally and emotionally. We greatly missed our September Family but safety and following Nevada’s restrictions on gathering size unquestionably had to be our priority as we sought to preserve the long-term viability of the Reno Air Races. Because of the cancellation there is a large gap between where we are and where we need to be financially.

Going into 2020, we already had challenges as cost increases outpaced income. While the 2019 event was successful with great racing, performers and increased non-local attendance our organization still experienced a significant financial loss, largely due to an unexpected increase in insurance premiums of $160,000. While the team budgeted accordingly for 2020, any opportunity to recover was completely cut off by COVID-19 and instead the issue was compounded."

In early July they made a tough call... and reduced staff by 75% leaving them with what is now a skeleton crew of two employees.

SO... they're in a bit of a pickle trying to stay ahead of expenses until they can return to the glory days of the races. And, they ARE making progress. "We hit a milestone earlier this week in our 'Save The Races' campaign when total donations surpassed $250,000 to date. We're now over 50% of the way to our $500,000 goal and are so very thankful for the generosity our fans and supporters have shown so far. We still have a way to go, but we know we can do it with your help. Two generous donors have put up a total matching donation of $20,000!"

For those of you who want to see Reno continue, we note, below, the site by which you can donate to insure the future of the Reno Air Races. As a charitable 501(c)3 non-profit, all donations to the Reno Air Racing Association are 100% tax deductible. We'll keep you updated.

FMI: https://reno-air-racing-association-inc.networkforgood.com/projects/113329-save-the-races