Miracle Flights Charity Partners With International Drone Racing Association
The nonprofit responsible for over 114,000 free flights for ill children to medical facilities is targeting the drone racing community for donations.
The International Drone Racing Association has announced that its new official partner for the 2018 Drone Racing Series, as well as the 2018 Challengers Cup, is U.S. health and welfare flight organization Miracle Flights. The joint venture aims to both raise awareness within the drone community about critically ill children and their plight, as well as donations to improve their lives as much as possible.
While drones are certainly becoming an incredible humanitarian tool, with edible unmanned aerial vehicles being sent to relief areas, for example, it’s always inspiring to see corporations themselves use their power for the welfare of human beings.
According to the press release received by DroneLife from the two organizations, Miracle Flight offers gratis air transportation for ill children in need of medical care to facilities far from their homes. The partnership seems to be rooted in an understanding that both the IDRA's drone racing community and the seriously ill children Miracle Flight is helping belong to the same generation, and could benefit from each other. By banding together, both intellectual awareness and financial charity can be driven up, with drone races acting as “a new medium to promote this organization's endeavors.”
Charity-driven drone initiatives like these seem to be growing, as we’ve recently witnessed The Flight to Remember Foundation providing end-of-life care for those eager to vicariously revisit places from their lives while confined to hospice beds. While drones can primarily be used to establish a modern eSports or complement a fashion show in Milan, it’s humanitarian use-cases like these that make an actual difference. If even one child in desperate need of medical care receives funding through this newly announced joint-venture, the IDRA and Miracle Flights have done their job.
“Miracle Flights is an amazing nonprofit organization that provides thousands of flights to children from all over the world,” said President and CEO of the IDRA Justin Haggerty. “It is our pleasure at IDRA to work with Miracle Flights as our official charitable partner. I hope the partnership bares many fruits and gives our drone community the chance to help a child in need.” The IDRA has certainly chosen the right partner, as Miracle Flights has reportedly provided more than 114,000 flights for seriously ill children in need of medical care unavailable in their area, for free.
“IDRA has engaged an incredible community of individuals across the country and around the world,” said an impressed Miracle Flights CEO Mark. E Brown. “To have them partner with us in our mission to improve access to healthcare for seriously ill children is a true honor. We look forward to everything we can accomplish - and the lives we can change - together.”
While drone technology still has far to go, in regards to the public implementation of delivery and transportation UAVs, this is an instance where innovation has come from the heart, and a desire to help fellow humankind. If that isn’t an impressive use-case for drones, we’re not sure what is.
