Greater Manhattan Community Foundation :: Don Dodge -- Wing Nuts

Wing Nuts

Don Dodge, a Manhattan resident, had a lifelong love of motorcycles, airplanes, animals and kids, not necessarily in that order. It was common to see his Sheltie dog riding with him in his airplane or sitting behind him on his motorcycle. He also loved his community, having lived in it all his life. So having no living relatives and being in his advanced years, Don made a bequest in his will to the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation for the establishment of an endowment to support youth and aviation. The income from his fund is distributed annually by the Foundation's grants committee to charitable programs that support youth enrichment activities in the area of airplane mechanics.

Don's foresight is making a big difference in the lives of youth in our area. His gift has supported several scholarships for students graduating from the K-State Aviation Technology program. It continues to support projects like the Riley County Fliers that introduce kids to aviation mechanics, and the Wing Nuts, a group of young people working with local mentors to build an actual plane.

Here's a report on what the Wing Nuts have been up to:

Currently the Wing Nuts have 12 youth participating and they are learning a lot! We are working on the wings and the kids are using lasers to align and "Trammel" the wing boxes, basically making sure every measurement is where it is supposed to be. They then adjust the wing with the internal cables and discover just how much one adjustment affects another. After setting all the measurements, participants safety wired their work so it will stay in place.

And here's a letter from an appreciative mother talking about how the Wing Nuts has affected her son:

I want to take the time to thank you so much for what you have done for my son. He is always so excited to go with you and work on the plane. You have no idea how much it means to us that you do this for these boys, especially Jonathan. As you know his dad is often deployed and I believe this program helps fill the void that he feels when his dad is gone. We are preparing for another deployment in April. I just wanted you to know how grateful I am for what you do for Jay. Thanks again for all you and the other volunteers do for these kids.

Don's gift is doing what we believe Don would have done were he alive today. It is his legacy and it was made possible through the Community Foundation.