|
 |
 |
We
will publicize the
generous efforts of our local clubs
...
|
|
Earlier
this year, AMA participated in its first League of Cities (LoC)
Convention in Tampa, Florida. LoC comprises elected
officials from municipalities and counties within the state.
Most states have similar organizations.
One of our 2008 objectives was to do more to promote
the idea that public and municipal lands are appropriate
venues for model aircraft flying sites. This was the message
we took to the convention. We intend to participate in at
least one more LoC Convention this year as well as take part
in the National Recreation and Park Association Congress,
which will have taken place by the time you read this.
For the past several years, AMA's East Coast Flying
Site Assistance Coordinator, Joe Beshar, has been working to
develop a partnership with the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). His intent is to use reclaimed
Superfund landfills as model aircraft flying fields. Joe's
efforts resulted in a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
between the EPA and AMA. Essentially this indicates that the
EPA endorses the use of these closed Superfund landfills as
model flying fields.
Today, because of Joe's work and that of many AMA
members, a number of chartered clubs across the country are
flying from reclaimed sites. The EPA has been so pleased
with the results of this effort that last fall they began
work on a short film highlighting the positive results of
our MOU.
Reclaiming closed Superfund landfills is directed by
the EPA, but control of the individual facilities rests with
the local stakeholder, frequently the municipality in which
the landfill resides. The film, Soaring the Superfund
Skies, is directed toward the leadership of these
municipalities and attempts to show the value of using these
sites in their communities for modeling activities.
The primary advantage for us is that these sites are
open, flat, and usually away from populated areas. Allowing
a model club to use a site means that it is well maintained
and becomes an asset to the community as opposed to an
eyesore, which benefits the community.
The film focuses on Superfund sites, but it will also
be of value to our members and clubs when they approach
owners and managers of other sites appropriate for model
aviation flying fields. The film should be released by the
time this issue of Model Aviation reaches you.
I was in Raleigh, North Carolina, for the Raleigh
Durham Radio Control Club's (RDRC) annual Fly-for-Tots
fly-in. This year's event raised more than $25,000 to
support the Victory Junction Gang, a charitable organization
whose mission is to enrich the lives of children with
chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing
life-changing camping experiences.
While I was there, the club's president, Larry Lewis,
told me that in spite of the outstanding success of this
fund-raising effort, RDRC was having a difficult time
getting the local media to recognize the fly-in and the
value the club was returning to the local community. I told
Larry I thought we should be able to lend a hand with that.
When I got home I contacted AMA's Marketing Director,
Jeff Nance, about working with our media-relations firm to
help. During our discussion Jeff pointed out that a good
number of our roughly 2,500 chartered clubs hold events each
year that support various local charities. He estimates that
the total amount raised from all of these events is
impressive.
AMA sent an E-mail to our club contacts to gather
information from them. We want to know how many of our clubs
hold charitable fund-raisers and roughly how much money is
raised. This data will give us an opportunity to create
national awareness and goodwill for model aviation by
promoting the results of our clubs' hard work.
Jeff is working on this new marketing strategy, which
includes generating national media attention for AMA
chartered clubs, its members, and AMA. We will publicize the
generous efforts of our local clubs and the amount raised
annually for local charities. All of our chartered clubs
will benefit from the national media attention, which will
help the individual local efforts. Everyone wins.
The AMA Expo 2009 is slightly less than two months
away. Held each year at the Ontario Convention Center in
Ontario, California, the dates will be Friday, January 9
through Sunday, January 11. Most of the major modeling
manufacturers and distributors in the United States plan to
attend.
There will be some new features added to this year's
Expo which should make it better than ever. The AMA Expo is
always well attended and is a great opportunity for our
members and those interested in model aviation to visit and
get a firsthand look at the latest in products and
technology that will be available in the coming year.
If you plan to attend this year's show, stop by the AMA
village in the middle of the convention floor and say hello.
MASee you next time ...
Dave Mathewson, AMA president
|
|
