“To honor past aviation pioneers and to inspire future space and aviation pioneers.” This mission statement was adopted in 1999 by a group of military veterans who formed the Celebrate Freedom Foundation (CFF) in Lexington County.
On July 12, Lori Wicker, Director of STEM Education Outreach Program and Director of Marketing at CFF, spoke to the St. Andrews Optimists about the Foundation’s current activities and future ambitions.
The goal of CFF is to connect aviation and space exploration with students studying on a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) track. CFF offers its services in several ways:
- Hangar Visits: Schools can schedule visits to CFF’s hangar at Columbia International Airport for hands-on education about aircraft systems and mechanics. CFF works on helicopters from military “boneyards” to bring them back into flying condition.
- On-Site Education: CFF can bring a team of educators to school campuses for interactive sessions. If a school is unable to organize field trips, CFF can effectively bring the field trip to them. This includes flying in a fully reconditioned Cobra helicopter as an exhibit. CFF owns four Cobras and two of the 18 hunter drones in existence in the U.S. Staff includes pilots, crew chiefs, and aviation veterans.
CFF also provides students with insights into aviation careers and their salary prospects, helping them understand that there are lucrative job opportunities in aviation beyond college.
CFF engages with the community in four main ways:
- School Visits: Bringing a Cobra helicopter to schools, reaching over 10,000 students in 2023.
- Operation Fall-In: Supporting veterans experiencing PTSD.
- JROTC Awards: Recognizing excellence in academics.
- Drone Pilot Training: Offering training for aspiring drone pilots.
Additionally, CFF plans to extend its services to homeschooling situations. Visitors are welcome to tour CFF’s hangar at CAE, where ongoing aircraft reconditioning projects are in progress.
Pictured: Lori Wicker, Optimist Club President Kerry Powers, and speaker sponsor John Manjounes, who presented Ms. Wicker with a copy of the Optimist Creed.
