A Message from the Executive Director

Dear Friends,

When I joined Above the Clouds last December, I made it my mission to help this organization climb back to altitude. In recent years, we faced serious challenges and disruptions that weakened our network of partners and funders, but we’ve begun to rebuild much of that foundation and are on our way to flying higher than ever.

This year, Above the Clouds will have served more than 100 children and teens through our Dream Flight, Aviation Discovery Day, and Virtual Dream Flight programs, a 20% increase over last year. Each flight gives young people facing serious challenges a chance to rise above their circumstances and see new possibilities.

We’re also nearing a major milestone: 900 children flown since our founding.

Behind that number is Finn, a 12-year-old who recently completed treatment for leukemia. He still goes for regular bloodwork to make sure he has what he calls “happy blood.” The son of an active-duty Coast Guard member, Finn has lived in four states and Guam. After his parents’ divorce and his dad’s move to Alaska, he struggled with missing him deeply. A Dream Flight gave Finn something he hadn’t had in a while, a day of adventure, excitement, and joy that was all his own.

This year we also:

• Reconnected with past partners and built dozens of new relationships, nearly doubling our referral network.
• Improved communication with pilots and volunteers to make participation easier.
• Nearly doubled attendance and tripled funds raised at our 7th Annual Wings of Legacy event with sponsors like Cape Air and the Allied Pilots Association.

We are proud of these accomplishments, but to keep delivering life-changing experiences in uncertain times, we need you.

Will you step up today? If you have supported Above the Clouds before, will you renew your gift? If you have volunteered or seen our impact firsthand, will you join us as a donor? Your commitment lifts children like Finn into a world of courage, joy, and possibility, one flight at a time.

With gratitude,

Ray Santos

Executive Director

Every gift helps a child rise above adversity and experience confidence, wonder, and joy through the power of flight.

• $1,000 Funds an Aviation Discovery Day for up to 20 teens, giving them hands-on aviation experiences, drone flying, and exposure to real career pathways in flight, engineering, and aircraft maintenance.
• $500 Provides a two-hour flight simulator experience for six children, where they learn the basics of flying, take the controls in a professional-grade simulator, and build confidence in a supportive, inspiring environment.
• $250 Supports one of a dozen or more Dream Flight Days each year by providing all the food, drinks, snacks, and hospitality we offer Dream Flyers, their families, and our volunteers, ensuring a warm, welcoming experience for everyone.
• $100 Provides every Dream Flyer with their own flight jacket, complete with custom name tag, commemorative patches, and aviator sunglasses, as a keepsake to celebrate their flight and remind them that anything is possible.