The Sporty’s Foundation has issued its Annual Report, detailing its activities and bequests during 2012.
“Since its inception, The Sporty’s Foundation has provided more than $800,000 in support to assist organizations and programs with a positive force on the health of the general aviation industry,” says Sporty’s Founder and Chairman Hal Shevers. “We have always believed in giving back to the community we serve, and this is a way to put those beliefs in action. We are also proud to do this with zero overhead – every dollar donated to the foundation goes directly to programs.”
EAA’s Next Step continues to receive the largest bequest from The Sporty’s Foundation. While Young Eagles has been successful, until Next Step there was no place for motivated Young Eagles to continue pursuing their interest in aviation. To date, more than 18,000 Young Eagles have turned to Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course to continue their studies.
“Our Learn to Fly Course gives tremendous flexibility to folks starting their flight training,” says Sporty’s President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Wolf. “The Learn to Fly Course is a modular program that gets everyone focused on the most important first step — solo. Then users are given their choice to pursue either a Sport, Recreational or Private license.”
The online course is made available free to all Young Eagles — past and present. After completing the course, Young Eagles are eligible for a free flight lesson, scholarships and more.
The Sporty’s Foundation made grants during 2012 in the total amount of $131,542. This sum included grants for flight training and maintenance training scholarships, as well as to aviation museums, the Boy Scouts of America, Build A Plane and others. A complete list of recipients is included in the report.
Online donations are also being accepted, either as a one-time payment or a recurring monthly charge. As a 501(c)3 foundation, all donations are tax deductible, foundation officials notes.
The Annual Report is available online at SportysFoundation.org.
