The Kenneth J. Snedden Squadron of the Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings members at MSU donated $1,100 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at the end of January. The Arnold Air Society, an honorary service organization within the Air Force ROTC, works to train better officers, promote corps unity and be of service to the community.
Silver Wings, the squad’s sister organization, is open to civilians as well as cadets and focuses on personal development and civic awareness.
The organizations worked together, collecting donations and even organizing a bowl-a-thon fundraiser at Bulldog Lanes to raise money for St. Jude.
They left Jan. 25 to visit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. The next day, they delivered their $1,100 check in person and took a tour of the facilities to learn more about the hospital and the children there.
The squadron members said they enjoyed the trip and now have a greater appreciation for the children of St. Jude and the research that goes on there.
Cadet Charles Holmes said he learned a lot from the tour.
“I did not realize how helping in such a small way could mean so much,” he said. “The children’s faces and staff members’ appreciation made all of our time and hard work more than worth it.”
Squadron Commander Michael Provencher said service to the surrounding community was an important part of officer training.
“It is important for us as cadets to do what we can to serve and aid others before we go to fight for our country,” he said. “We consider service a bedrock for our future officership.”
The squadron plans to make fundraising for St. Jude an annual project.
The hospital treats over 4,000 patients annually. To date, the hospital has treated over 17,000 patients from the United States and 60 foreign countries.
St. Jude relies on charity such as the donation by the Arnold Air Society and organizational grants to care for patients who are not able to pay for the full cost of medical care and might otherwise be unable to afford treatment.