Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime Takes U.S. Air Force and Korean War Veteran on One Last Military Flight
Foundation Kicks off “Project 11 Campaign” Honoring Veterans with One Wish per Week through Veteran’s Day on 11-11-11
DENVER – Aug. 29, 2011 – Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime Foundation recently granted a senior wish to Robert Shipman, a 79-year-old Centennial, Colo., resident and Korean War veteran who dreamed of having one more flight before he completely loses his sight to a degenerative eye disease. With this wish, the foundation kicks off its Project 11 campaign, honoring veterans with one wish per week through Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11, 2011.
Shipman flew B-36 bombers for the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and has been an aviation buff his entire life. With the help of the Rocky Mountain Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, Shipman flew in a 1945 Grumman TBM “Avenger” Torpedo Bomber piloted by Col. Rob Duncan. The same plane flew in review at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation and appeared in the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
Following the flight, Shipman climbed out of the plane with a large grin on his face. After admitting he is a man of few words he said, “This was great!” and thanked the team and pilot for making his wish come true.
In addition to Col. Duncan, Shipman was accompanied on the flight by pro snowboarder and TV Reality personality Jesse Csincsak - winner of ‘The Bachelorette’ (Season 4) - who is also a Wish of a Lifetime supporter.
"When Jeremy and his team asked me to grant a wish this year I couldn't wait to get started. This one in particular hit home since my dad was an Airplane Mechanic in the Vietnam War," said Csincsak. "When we got Robert up in that plane he was as happy as can be and smiling from ear-to-ear. A smile is definitely worth a thousand words."
“We are very honored to have made this wish come true for Robert, and we are grateful for the support of all those who made it possible,” said two-time Olympic skier, former NFL football player and foundation founder Jeremy Bloom. “Robert is an extraordinary man, and we appreciate all he has done to serve his country. Sharing his story and making his wish a reality is a great example of what Project 11 will do over the coming months.“
About Project 11
Observed annually on November 11, Veteran's Day 2011 will fall on 11-11-11. To celebrate this unique date, Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime created the Project 11 campaign. Through Project 11, Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime will grant as many wishes as possible by the end of the year to the men and women who have bravely served our country and will feature one Project 11 wish each week for the 11 weeks leading up to 11-11-11, beginning with Robert Shipman. The campaign will honor seniors with wishes commemorating their history of military service by visiting memorials and attending reunions, as well as helping veterans achieve their dreams of reconnecting with loved ones by visiting family and friends. Project 11 seeks to honor veterans and say "thank you" for their service and dedication to securing the future for generations of Americans.
About Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime Jeremy Bloom's Wish of a Lifetime was established in 2008 by two-time Olympic skier, former NFL player and Colorado native Jeremy Bloom in living honor of his grandmother Donna Wheeler. Bloom left competitive sports to launch the foundation in order to initiate a cultural change by enriching the lives of seniors. For more information, please visit www.seniorwish.org or follow Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime on Facebook and Twitter.
About Robert Shipman
Robert Shipman’s passion for planes and flying started at an early age. He served four years in the U.S. Air Force where he had the opportunity to see his fascination with aviation become a reality. For three years of his service, he flew B-36 bombers during the Korean War. Due to poor eyesight, Robert never achieved his dream of flying a jet fighter, and today his eyesight continues to deteriorate as he was diagnosed with Wet Macular Degeneration, which has caused blindness in his right eye. His wish is to fly one last time before his eyesight is lost completely. Although he can no longer pilot a plane, he says “one last ride is all he needs.”
About the Rocky Mountain Wing of the Commemorative Air Force
The Rocky Mountain Wing of the Commemorative Air Force is based in Grand Junction, Colo. It is a wing of the national Commemorative Air Force (CAF), the largest flying museum in the world. The CAF is a nonprofit aviation association dedicated to honoring American military aviation through flight, exhibition and remembrance, by maintaining a flying museum of classic military aircraft. The CAF has approximately 8,500 members and a fleet of more than 160 airplanes representing 60 different types of American and select foreign aircraft from military conflicts since WWII. The aircraft are assigned to 74 CAF units across the country. These units, comprised of CAF members and volunteers, restore and operate the planes, which are viewed by more than 10 million spectators annually. For more information, go to www.rmwcaf.org.
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Wendy Artman, GroundFloor Media, 920-819-8968, wartman@groundfloormedia.com
Amanda Brannum, GroundFloor Media, 214-682-8300, abrannum@groundfloormedia.com
Inna Shamis, AvantGarde Communications Group, 732-385-1714, inna@agcomgroup.com
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