Car Show Benefits Make-A-Wish

The Second Annual Duncan Aviation Car Show earned more than $1,700 for non-profit Make-A-Wish Nebraska. Click image for high-res download.

Duncan Aviation is pleased to announce that on Friday, July 12, Andy Duong, Dani Decker, Carlos Matamoros, Keith Schell, and Mark Cote presented Wish & Development Coordinator, Carrie Fitzke, of Make-A-Wish Nebraska, a check worth $1,743 from the proceeds of the second annual Duncan Aviation Car Show. It was an exciting day for everyone involved, but this stuck with Accessory Technician II Carlos Matamoros a little more as he has seen first-hand the joy that these wishes bring to kids and their families.

“My youngest sibling was a Make-A-Wish recipient, so it was a no-brainer for me to be a kick-starter for the car show,” Matamoros says.

He continues, “It was a super proud moment for me to be able to present Carrie with the money we were able to raise for Make-A-Wish. Having a fundraiser for Make-A-Wish is a small way for me to reciprocate all the good deeds that were done to help my brother when he was battling cancer.”

Although the car show has been referred to as Carlos’ baby, Matamoros says he wouldn’t have been able to do any of it without help from lots of co-workers at Duncan Aviation.

“The car show was a way to reach out to the gear heads here at Duncan Aviation. It was meant to be a cool, family-oriented event that we can all participate in. Make-A-Wish being the non-profit for the event just puts the cherry on top. When I first started at Duncan Aviation, I was told that we functioned as one big family and without a doubt, I've been able to see just what everyone meant.”

VP Parts Sales, Component Repairs, and Satellites Mark Cote put a car in the show last year and noticed that Matamoros was a little shorthanded.

“I spent some time talking to Carlos, and one thing led to another, and we decided to work together to form a committee of volunteers to help organize the next car show,” Cote says. “Make-A-Wish is such a great charity and does such great things for children. I could tell Carlos had a passion for what they do and that he wanted to grow the event.”

One of Duncan Aviation’s core values is to support our communities. Matamoros’ initiative to put together the car show is a great example of Duncan Aviation’s culture of giving back. This effort, like so many others that volunteer and give back selflessly, makes a huge impact on others who are not so fortunate.

Regional Director of Make-A-Wish Nebraska Melissa Davis-Schmit says, “We are so grateful to Duncan Aviation’s Car Show for their support. We anticipate that by the end of our fiscal year, Make-A-Wish Nebraska will have granted 23 wishes just in Lincoln and Lancaster County alone. Events such as this help ensure that we can turn each wish into a magical, one-of-a-kind experience that can only be matched by the wish child’s imagination.”

Davis-Schmit continues, “We are so grateful to our donors at every level as we know without each of them we could not commit to granting the nearly 150 wishes we are working on across the state. And, we know that the 23 we anticipate we will grant out of the Lincoln area this fiscal year just wouldn’t be possible. Events like the car show take a tremendous amount of work, and frankly heart, or they just don’t happen. I thank Duncan Aviation for their incredible efforts for making this event happen and ultimately helping make wishes come true!”

Make-A-Wish Nebraska is a private and not-profit organization. All funding comes through donations from individuals, businesses, fundraising events, charitable trusts, bequests, and foundations. Program costs account for 84% of every dollar, and the money raised in Nebraska helps grant Nebraska wishes. 

Wishes are granted to children between the ages of 2 ½ and not yet 18 who medically qualify for a wish. Wishes are the driving force behind all Make-A-Wish does because, put simply, wish experiences transform lives. A wish is a carefully planned journey, designed to complement a child’s medical treatment, and give them the hope, strength, and joy they need to fight their illness. Wishes have given physical and emotional benefits to children with critical illnesses. And wishes not only help these children, they also have far-reaching, positive impacts on their families and communities. There are few experiences more powerful than making a wish come true.

About Duncan Aviation

Duncan Aviation is an aircraft service provider supporting the aviation needs of business aircraft operators, government agencies, and other aircraft service providers. Services include major and minor airframe inspections, engine maintenance, major retrofits for cabin and cockpit avionics systems, full paint and interior services, engineering and certification services, fabrication and manufacturing services, and preowned aircraft sales and acquisitions. Duncan Aviation also has international aircraft components solutions experts available 24/7/365 at +1 402.475.4125 who can handle any aircraft system problem with immediate exchanges, rotables, loaners or avionics/instrument/accessory repairs and overhauls. Complete service facilities are located in Battle Creek, Michigan; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Provo, Utah. We also have dozens of other facilities strategically located throughout the United States to provide customers with scheduled regional support and the quickest response possible to avionics, engine and airframe Aircraft On Ground (AOG) situations.

For more information about any of Duncan Aviation’s services, call +1 402.475.2611 or visit https://www.DuncanAviation.aero/services