Operation Warm Wings needs support

Museum looking for donations

Operation Warm Wings, a charitable new coat for kid’s effort of the Tennessee Museum of Aviation, has grown about 100% each year since it began in 2002. Museum Executive Director, Bob Minter, says that the museum currently has 334 names and sizes of children who need a new winter coat. That’s nearly twice the number Operation Warm Wings distributed last December to children in Sevier County.”We are praying for the same kind of community support we’ve had for the past couple of years,” Minter said. “The first year we provided 80 new coats for kids because that was the number of names and sizes we had. The same thing happened last Christmas when we were given 160 names. In 2003, we held two Christmas Parties here at the museum to distribute the winter coats, this year we may have to have a week-long event.” he said.While the museum is excited and gratified by the opportunity to help more deserving youngsters, there is concern about obtaining 334 new coats to satisfy the need. Bob Minter has faith in the generosity of those more fortunate in Sevier County and businesses, however. “For the past two years we’ve actually had people calling to make sure we had enough support for the program”, he said, “I hope they call us again this year, because we clearly need all of the support we can get.”If you¹d like to provide a brand new winter coat for a youngster in Sevier County, please call 908-0171, Extension 23. Museum volunteer Dennis Perry or another member of the museum staff or volunteer corps will happily assist you. A Christmas Party is planned for December 11th to entertain, feed and distribute the new coats to the children.