Trump’s visits push charity event to Opa-locka
07/03/17 16:15
Trump’s visits push charity event to Opa-locka
Charitable organizers moved an annual event that provides free plane rides to special needs children from Boca Raton to Opa-Locka to avoid flight restrictions imposed when President Donald Trump visits. (Photo submitted by Vital Flight)
A charity event that provides free plane rides to special needs children is being moved from Boca Raton to Opa-locka because of flight restrictions imposed when President Donald Trump visits Mar-a-Lago, organizers said.
The event planned for April 1 has been held at the Boca Raton Airport for the past five years, but organizers said they did not want to risk a last-minute cancellation if Trump decides to visit that weekend.
The event’s move to the community just north of Miami is the latest example of how the president’s frequent weekend visits to his Palm Beach estate are affecting aviation in South Florida. “We do not blame the president,” said Dave Freudenberg, a member of the Rotary Club of Downtown Boca Raton, the event’s title sponsor. “We understand the interest of the nation comes before us.”
When Trump visits, small airplanes and private jets flock to the Boca Raton Airport to avoid stricter security screenings required for planes landing at Palm Beach International Airport, said Tom Powers, chairman emeritus of Vital Flight, the nonprofit group that organizes the charity event.
That means there won’t be space at the Boca Raton Airport if Trump decides to visit that weekend, Powers said. The White House would not announce the president’s travel plans in advance, citing security concerns, organizers said.
Powers said he would have preferred to have held the event in Boca Raton because most of the sponsors, volunteers and children are from Palm Beach County. Moving the event will mean many of the families will have to drive farther to participate, he said. It takes about $17,000 in donations and 125 volunteers to provide the plane rides. About 25 pilots donate their time and aircraft to the cause.
The event allows more than 150 children with cancer, developmental disabilities and other special needs to enjoy a brief ride on aircraft that span from single-engine planes to twin-engine jets. While a few sponsors dropped their support, most have remained committed despite the change, Powers said.
“It’s a tremendous gesture on their part,” he said. “They recognize that these families really have a need. It brings a lot of happiness to people who don’t have a lot to look forward to.” The U.S. Secret Service doesn’t plan to ease restrictions to lessen the impact on local businesses, U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, said Monday after a closed-door meeting with the agency.
Lantana Airport, only a few miles from Mar-a-Lago, is shut down when Trump visits. Business owners there — from a banner-towing operation to a flight school — say they’ve lost tens of thousands of dollars in revenue because of Trump's four weekend visits to Mar-a-Lago. Palm Beach International Airport has also seen a reduction in air traffic, according to a county report.
But at Boca Raton Airport, Trump’s visits have been a boon for business. Typically, the airport averages 200 landings and takeoffs during a weekend in the peak season from Thanksgiving to Easter, said Clara Bennett, executive director of the airport. But when Trump is in town, that number doubles as pilots seek to avoid stricter security procedures at airports closer to Mar-a-Lago.
“Coming directly to Boca Raton is a more efficient option for them,” she said.
sswisher@sunsentinel.com, 561-243-6634 or @SkylerSwisher
Charitable organizers moved an annual event that provides free plane rides to special needs children from Boca Raton to Opa-Locka to avoid flight restrictions imposed when President Donald Trump visits. (Photo submitted by Vital Flight)
A charity event that provides free plane rides to special needs children is being moved from Boca Raton to Opa-locka because of flight restrictions imposed when President Donald Trump visits Mar-a-Lago, organizers said.
The event planned for April 1 has been held at the Boca Raton Airport for the past five years, but organizers said they did not want to risk a last-minute cancellation if Trump decides to visit that weekend.
The event’s move to the community just north of Miami is the latest example of how the president’s frequent weekend visits to his Palm Beach estate are affecting aviation in South Florida. “We do not blame the president,” said Dave Freudenberg, a member of the Rotary Club of Downtown Boca Raton, the event’s title sponsor. “We understand the interest of the nation comes before us.”
When Trump visits, small airplanes and private jets flock to the Boca Raton Airport to avoid stricter security screenings required for planes landing at Palm Beach International Airport, said Tom Powers, chairman emeritus of Vital Flight, the nonprofit group that organizes the charity event.
That means there won’t be space at the Boca Raton Airport if Trump decides to visit that weekend, Powers said. The White House would not announce the president’s travel plans in advance, citing security concerns, organizers said.
Powers said he would have preferred to have held the event in Boca Raton because most of the sponsors, volunteers and children are from Palm Beach County. Moving the event will mean many of the families will have to drive farther to participate, he said. It takes about $17,000 in donations and 125 volunteers to provide the plane rides. About 25 pilots donate their time and aircraft to the cause.
The event allows more than 150 children with cancer, developmental disabilities and other special needs to enjoy a brief ride on aircraft that span from single-engine planes to twin-engine jets. While a few sponsors dropped their support, most have remained committed despite the change, Powers said.
“It’s a tremendous gesture on their part,” he said. “They recognize that these families really have a need. It brings a lot of happiness to people who don’t have a lot to look forward to.” The U.S. Secret Service doesn’t plan to ease restrictions to lessen the impact on local businesses, U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, said Monday after a closed-door meeting with the agency.
Lantana Airport, only a few miles from Mar-a-Lago, is shut down when Trump visits. Business owners there — from a banner-towing operation to a flight school — say they’ve lost tens of thousands of dollars in revenue because of Trump's four weekend visits to Mar-a-Lago. Palm Beach International Airport has also seen a reduction in air traffic, according to a county report.
But at Boca Raton Airport, Trump’s visits have been a boon for business. Typically, the airport averages 200 landings and takeoffs during a weekend in the peak season from Thanksgiving to Easter, said Clara Bennett, executive director of the airport. But when Trump is in town, that number doubles as pilots seek to avoid stricter security procedures at airports closer to Mar-a-Lago.
“Coming directly to Boca Raton is a more efficient option for them,” she said.
sswisher@sunsentinel.com, 561-243-6634 or @SkylerSwisher