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John: Time for Operation Good Cheer
December/21/2009 at 3:57 pm
By John M. McDonald, GM Communications (and president of STAR Chapter 317, Ann Arbor)
Operation Good Cheer started nearly 40 years ago by a handful of autoworkers in the Detroit area who pooled their holiday card money to buy toys for needy children. There are hundreds of volunteers around the state who collect, transport and sort gifts for the children every December. Pentastar Aviation donates their aircraft hanger at Oakland County (MI) airport for collection and sorting of the toys, while Penske Truck supplies trucks for rampside loading. Operation Good Cheer never fails to get everyone in the right frame of mind to spread the holiday spirit throughout the month. STAR Chapter 317 also sponsors an annual charity ride to support the Emily Ann Griffin Foundation, and contributes to the national STAR-designated charity Feed The Children.
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- Aircraft and their Pilot Elves line-up for gift loading
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- Ollie Short and Dan Tomford of STAR Chapter 317 help with volunteers of the Civil Air Patrol
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- Bikes await their flight into a child’s eager hands
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- A Pilot Elf after loading several bicycles into his plane
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- John and his motorcycle “Marilyn” at Deals Gap
For the past five years, I have volunteered with a group of motorcyclists from the Ann Arbor area in a project that brings the holiday spirit to thousands of deserving foster children across Michigan. Our members, and hundreds of volunteers, gather and distribute gifts for children identified through the Michigan department of Family and Social Services. This month, the annual Operation Good Cheer project distributed 14,000 gifts to more than 4,000 kids with the helpful support of Pilot Elves flying 185 private aircraft all across the state. Good weather and low fuel prices helped make this year’s initiative a tremendous success.
