FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAXWELL AFB, Ala. — After only one year, Civil Air Patrol’s corporate partnership program has proven successful, raising the organization’s public profile, increasing funding and reducing expenses.

To date, eight corporations have signed on, as partners, including Air BP Aviation Services, AirGator, Cessna Aircraft Company, Estes-Cox Corporation, FlightSchedulePro.com, Goodyear Aviation, Tanis Aircraft Services, and VTS Inc. CAP expects to add additional partners to the list in March.

CAP had never before attempted a corporate partnership program in its 63-year history, but leaders have been encouraged by the willingness of businesses to support the volunteer organization, which is the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.

“This program has been extremely successful in educating corporations about the contributions our volunteers are making in their communities,” said Al Allenback, executive director at CAP National Headquarters and an early proponent of the corporate partnership concept. “Through this program, we have developed cooperative projects that both fulfill the philanthropic goals of the corporations and the community service missions for which CAP is responsible.”

One of those missions is promoting aerospace education, and a good example of a corporate partnership currently supporting that mission is a new Estes-Cox/CAP program for inner-city teachers. According to Jim Shea, CAP director of strategic partnerships, Estes-Cox has donated funds for 400 teachers in 16 major cities to become CAP Aerospace Education Members.

As part of this membership, these teachers receive free teaching aids, lesson plans and classroom materials to help them incorporate aviation and aerospace into subjects such as math, science and history.

“The thought of flying or traveling in space is foreign to many inner-city children,” Shea said. “Through this partnership with Estes-Cox, we hope to inspire tens of thousands of children. We want to show them that the world of aviation and space travel is not just a dream. It’s part of our world today, and will be an integral part of the even more high-tech world of tomorrow.”

Estes-Cox, the leading manufacturer of model rocketry and remote-controlled aircraft for hobbyists, sees its involvement with CAP as an extension of its overall marketing plan. “Besides wanting to show our support from a patriotic perspective,” said Tom Walker the company’s director of marketing, “it’s a smart business decision. CAP members use our products in aerospace education throughout the country. They’re great ambassadors for us.”

CAP’s Cadet Program, with some 25,000 young members nationwide, is also benefiting from the corporate partnership program. Last year, corporate partners helped reduce expenses for CAP’s flight orientation programs, which give many young people their first opportunity to fly in powered aircraft and gliders. 

Corporate partner funds have also reduced expenses for CAP’s National Cadet Competition, an annual competition for the top CAP cadet teams across the nation. “These are high-level events that test leadership skills, academics and physical fitness,” Shea said. “Our corporate partners are proud to be associated with an event that showcases some of the nation’s most outstanding young people.” Corporate partners have already signed on to support the 2005 National Cadet Competition as well, scheduled for July in Washington, D.C.

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