Wings for ALL is celebrating 6 years in Greensboro at PTI airport!
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sarah Bal 916-390-1860
Greensboro, NC – On September 21, 2019, The Arc will hold its 6th annual Wings for All® event at Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO). This event is being held in partnership with Delta Airlines, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), The Arc of Greensboro, The Arc of High Point, The Arc of Davidson County, The Enrichment Center (an Affiliated Chapter of The Arc), and The Autism Society of North Carolina and Autism Unbound. Originated by the Charles River Center, a local chapter of The Arc in Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Port Authority, Wings for Autism®/Wings for All® is an airport “rehearsal” specially designed for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, their families and aviation professionals to alleviate some of the stress that families who have a child with autism experience when traveling by air.
During the event, participants will check-in to receive their boarding passes, pass through TSA security, wait in the boarding area and board an airplane. The program will feature a presentation on the aircraft’s features, in-flight safety protocols and take-off procedures. Wings for All® also gives airport, airline, TSA professionals and other personnel the opportunity to observe, interact and deliver their services in a structured, learning environment. This experience is equally useful for families that have a member with other intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) that are concerned about the ability of their family member to travel.
This event is open to all individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Greensboro area and beyond who seek a safe by realistic experience of travelling through a busy airport. Nearly 139 participants have signed up to benefit from this experience. The event is made possible by charitable contributions from Hanes Brands, Autism Unbound, Aviation Risk Consulting, Inc., McDonalds & Sheetz.
MEDIA RSVP REQUIRED: Provide full name (as it appears on government-issued I.D.) and date of birth to Stephanie Freeman, PTI Marketing Director at 336-665-5644 or FreemanS@gsoair.org
no later than 7 p.m. on October 26. Media is required to bring government issued I.D. and to follow TSA guidelines for other items, as participants will be clearing security to cover this event.
“Piedmont Triad International Airport is proud to be a partner in this event,” said Stephanie Freeman, the GSO’s Manager of Marketing. “The program benefits the families, but it also provides valuable training for airport employees in how to accommodate passengers with special needs. Our goal is for all of our passengers to have a positive travel experience.”
“At Delta, one of our strongly-held core values is giving back to the communities we’re privileged to serve. The Delta team at Piedmont Triad International is pleased to support this effort to familiarize the airport experience to these children and their families,” said Bryan Street, Delta Station Manager for GSO.
“Traveling can be such a wonderful experience but for many families traveling is very stressful. The Arc of Greensboro is thrilled to be a partner in bringing the 4th annual “Wings for ALL” to NC. We are grateful to Delta Airlines and PTI for providing this wonderful opportunity for our Piedmont Triad families. This will be an exciting and memorable day for the families, the staff and volunteers of all participating partners in this unique event,” said Linda Yurko, Executive Director of The Arc of Greensboro.
The Arc – The Arc advocates for and serves people with I/DD, including Down syndrome, autism, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, cerebral palsy and other diagnoses. The Arc has a network of more than 650 chapters across the country promoting and protecting the human rights of people with I/DD and actively supporting their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes and without regard to diagnosis.
Editor’s Note: The Arc is not an acronym; always refer to us as The Arc, not The ARC and never ARC. The Arc should be considered as a title or a phrase.