The event was an amazing success and was our largest yet, with record-breaking numbers of pilots, volunteers, exhibitors, and most importantly children with special needs who got to fly!
Forty-seven volunteer pilots donated over 170 flights for more than 450 people (over 210 challenged kids, plus their friends/family).
We estimate that 2,000 people attended the accessible activities and assistive technologies festival, including 300 pre-registered volunteers and over 80 exhibitors representing nonprofit organizations and businesses with accessibility-related services or products.
Click here to read an article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Click here to read the informative press relase.
We extend a huge thank you to all those who made
this event possible, especially:
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The festival featured a delicious barbecue lunch, hot air balloons, a petting zoo, visits from clowns and Aviator Snoopy, face painting, arts and crafts, golf lessons, science displays, and a bounce house. |
We also enjoyed speeches by the mayor of Watsonville and other local politicians, as well as theater and musical performances by two troupes consisting of individuals with special needs.
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Day
in the Sky is a free event offering flights
for kids ages 8-17 with special needs.
Priority is given to local kids in the Central
Coast area. |
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Click here
to download a one-pager with photos and
quotes about the event.
Click here for 2008 photos (you can even download or order copies).
Click here for a 2008 video news clip from local KION 46 news.
Click here for the 2008 front-page news article from the Watsonville
Register-Pajaronian.
Click here
to read a front-page news article published in the Watsonville
Register-Pajaronian about the 3rd Annual Day in the Sky
on April 21, 2007.
Click here
for photos from Day in the Sky 2006.
Click here
to read a sampling of comments we have received from participants
and volunteers who attended Day in the Sky 2006.
 
At this event held at the Watsonville
Airport, 150 disabled and severely ill young people
of the Central Coast receive free, half hour airplane rides
from 25-35 volunteer pilots. Each participant attends a
pre-flight school to learn basic aviation principles, then
the children are taken flying over the spectacular California
coastline.
Each young person may invite 2 guest passengers
for his/her flight = 450 passengers flying that day. Each
challenged child is encouraged to take the aircraft controls
for short periods during the flight to experience the sense
of empowerment that comes from controlling an aircraft.
Simultaneously, we host a large ground festival and accessible
activities exposition at the airport. Over 800 people attended
the festival/expo last year.
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In addition to providing an exceptional
experience for challenged children, Day In The Sky raises
community awareness of the needs of special children. |
The event encourages community involvement
by engaging volunteers to make the event as special as possible
for the children who participate. Each year over 200 volunteers
showed up to help out.
To
view photos of Day in the Sky 2005 click here,
here,
and here.
To read an article from
the Santa Cruz Sentinel about Day in the Sky, click here.
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