Meet Rob Corrao — AFW volunteer Command Pilot and part of the LIFT Scottsdale Host Committee. Coming up on November 6 at Pinnacle West Aviation Hangar, this inaugural event is complete with stunning flyovers; a celebration of volunteers, healthcare partners, and passengers; a delicious gourmet dinner; an unforgettable lineup of live and silent auction items; and much more. In the Q+A below, Rob shares why this event is so meaningful to him.
Interested in attending? You can purchase your tickets to LIFT and learn additional event details here: https://liftscottsdale.com/
- What does it mean to you as an AFW Arizona Wing volunteer pilot to be involved with the LIFT Scottsdale Inaugural Benefit Gala, celebrating the power and impact of charitable aviation?
As one of the members of the team helping put LIFT Scottsdale together, this event is particularly meaningful to me. Helping introduce more people in Arizona to Angel Flight West and the incredible work the organization does has been a real joy.
It’s also deeply personal because LIFT Scottsdale will honor the memory of former Air Care Alliance board member, AFW pilot, and close friend Jim Hesseman.
Jim lived by a wonderful personal motto:
“Give as much as you can, for as long as you can, to as many as you can…and, when possible, in an airplane.”
That really captures the spirit of public benefit aviation.
Jim had an incredible passion for Angel Flight West and aviation philanthropy in general. He challenged me, and countless others around him, to continually ask ourselves how we could help more.
Being able to celebrate Angel Flight West’s work in Arizona while also honoring Jim’s legacy makes the inaugural LIFT Scottsdale particularly special.
2. What do you hope LIFT attendees will take away from the event?
First, I hope people leave understanding just how much of an impact Angel Flight West has on patients and families throughout our region, and how much of that work is made possible by volunteer pilots donating their time, airplanes, and operating expenses.
I hope that people will understand the incredible effort and resources that are required to support the mission — even though the pilots donate the time, fuel, plane, etc., there is still a huge amount of work that goes into making it all happen so seamlessly.
But I also hope people leave asking how they can support and help. For pilots, that might mean signing up to fly missions. For others, it might mean becoming a financial supporter, making an introduction, volunteering, sponsoring the organization, or simply telling someone else about Angel Flight West. And for some it will mean signing up as an Earth Angel…once the pilots touch down, getting the patient from the plane to their destination is just as important as the flight.
I’d love to see LIFT Scottsdale become a signature Arizona philanthropic event and ultimately grow to the scale and impact of AFW’s annual Endeavor Awards in Los Angeles. More importantly though, I want it to create a larger community of people in Arizona who know what Angel Flight West does and want to be part of it.
3. Why should those living in Arizona consider attending LIFT and getting involved with AFW?
Arizona is an ideal place for Angel Flight West’s mission to make an enormous difference. We have world-class medical care in places like Phoenix and Scottsdale. Home to Mayo Clinic, Phoenix Children’s, and many others…but we also live in a region where patients may be separated from that care by hundreds of miles.
LIFT is an opportunity to see what happens when aviation and philanthropy come together.
I hope people come to LIFT Scottsdale for a great evening, but leave understanding that they have the ability to help make someone’s very difficult journey just a little bit easier. Whether they fly, donate, volunteer, sponsor, introduce others to the organization, or simply help spread the word, there is a place for everyone.
To purchase tickets to LIFT, please visit the following link: https://liftscottsdale.com/#signup
