Go ahead & do it!

General Discussion Charity and Goodwill
1

Dear fellow kit hoarders:

I recently came to the obvious conclusion that I will not live long enough to build all the kits I have in my collection. I have some kits that I will keep, hopefully to build with grandkids someday, but there’s quite a surplus. I’ve read several times in FSM about sending kits to our service men & women, so I thought, that sounds like a great idea. Let’s get off our butts & DO it!

My daughter & I recently delivered three cartons full of kits to donate to our nearest ANG base (104th FW) for them to send to their men & women deployed in service to our country. Quite unexpectedly we were honored by a VIP tour of the base including an overview of several F-15Cs on the tarmac. WOW!

We also donated a lot of kits to the New England Air Museum for them to sell in their gift shop to increase revenue. My wife was asked by a staff member at the museum if I was being forced to give them kits; she said no, it was purely my choice. All true.

But, most importantly (to us, at least) was donating kits to a veteran’s facilty near our home in western Massachusetts. The need there is REAL. With all the funding cuts & other losses to our veterans, resources for things like kits & other projects have been reduced or eliminated. Many of the veterans in the facility have no family or close friends to give them support. To give someone a chance to use his mind & hands to create something is a gift that is genuinely appreciated. My daughter & I were deeply touched by the sincere thanks for our gift.

So, maybe instead of selling your unwanted kits, consider a donation to a facility that can really use them. You may not make any money, but trust me…the feeling you’ll have inside for doing it is priceless.

Thanks for reading…

2

Hey! I was just at the NEAM this past weekend and bought a couple of kits. Maybe they were yours. [:D]

Cool place. The B-29 was… (words fail me).

Paul

3

Say fella’s that’s a great idea!!

I used to volunteer at a local museum,in the city I now live in,Aurora,CO at Wings Over The Rockies which is housed in one of 2 hangers(the other I believe is used for storage)at the former Lowry AFB training base.

But my paying job’s work schedule,started to conflict,so I had to quit,and I was driving then about 6 miles from downtown Denver at the time,after work,usually…!!

I worked in the museum store and a little in restoration shop,got to find out how much those missile rails on F-4,REALLY weigh!!

By the way,I’ve re-collected the reissue of that Monogram original 1/48 (aka “1/4 scale”) F4U-4,it was one of the first aircraft kits,I started in 1971,after I got into aircraft building,even though I continued for a time to build Revell 1/720 battleship/carriers,such as CVS-12,USS Hornet-Apollo 11 Recovery carrier,(and latter Hasegawa,etc.1/700 ships),which got me more interested in exploring those ASW aircraft S-2,SH-3D/H,E-1/C-1 on the deck and of course those aircraft flying missions over 'Nam at the time!!

I also now have a female cousin,by marriage who’s father,served on Hornet during the Apollo missions,and I visited her museum at Alameda Point,as I returned to my birthplace,across the bay at the former Oak Knolls/Oakland Naval Hospital for the first time(April 1999) since I was born in one of the former barrack-style wards,which a few were still there,even though the newer square-ribbed gray main building took over years later.

Sadly the property has been in disray for awhile…[:'(]

Terry