FSD - Sioux Falls, SD

2022 Avera Children's Hosptial visit

2019 Sioux Falls Pilot for Kids Visit

Pilots from Sioux Falls Pilots for Kids visited Sanford and Avera McKennan Children's hospitals to hand out toys and share some Christmas cheer with kids and their families. Paul Dokken (Delta) Aaron Svec (Skywest), Lisa Strohchein (UPS) and Casey Delaney (United) made the visit for the 2019 event.

PFK 2017 Sanford and Avera McKennan Christmas Visit

Airline pilots from Delta, UPS, Skywest and United visited both Avera and Sanford Children's Hospitals in Sioux Falls to meet with the kids and spread some Christmas cheer. Paul Dokken (Delta), Lisa Strohchein (UPS), Aaron Svec (Skywest), Casey Delaney (United), and Mark Carolyn (United) donned uniforms and had the chance to spend their day off bringing over $1000 worth of gifts including stuffed animals, toys, games and pilot wings to the kids. Fun was shared by all and of course some flying stories were shared with the kids and their families. The ultimate goal was to bring a smile to the face of the kids but the experience was equally as rewarding for the pilots. Many of these children will be unable spend Christmas at home and the pilots were able to give them a couple gifts to lift their spirits during the holiday season. The Pilots for Kids FSD group have been spreading cheer to kids at Children's hospitals in Sioux Falls since 2012.

PFK 2016 at Avera McKennan Hospital

Christmas In July for kids at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls Breaking a bit from tradition, several pilots from FSD decided to bring a little “Christmas in July” for kids hospitalized at Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center in July last year (2016) instead of December. Among those pilots volunteering their time were Chris Rossing and Paul Dokken of Delta Air Lines and Casey Delany from United Airlines. Chris Rossing’s daughter Annabelle also lent a hand by helping to hand out toys and games to some of the children and their families at Avera. All-in-all it was a very fun and rewarding day to help bring a smile to kids needing one.

PFK 2015 at Sanford Children's Hospital and Avera McKennan Hospital

Just a few weeks before Christmas, a group of pilots from Delta (Chris Rossing, Paul Dokken), SkyWest (Lisa Strohschein) and ExpressJet (Brian Rippe) in Sioux Falls, SD joined forces to bring a little spirit of the holidays to hospitalized kids in town. Armed with over $1500 in toys, games, plush airplanes and more, the uniformed pilots had the great pleasure of surprising and bringing a smile to the faces of several children and their families facing the stress of receiving treatment in search of better health during an otherwise happy time of year. // This was the fourth consecutive year a Pilots For Kids event was held in Sioux Falls (FSD) since 2012 when the local chapter was established. New this year was an event over at Sioux Falls� other large healthcare facility, Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center. In addition to spreading Christmas cheer at Sanford Children�s Hospital in Sioux Falls as has been done annually since 2012, Santa�s pilot helpers were happy to include the kids and their families at Avera this year as well. // Even though pilots and others many times have to be gone during the holidays because of their work schedules, the Sioux Falls pilots involved in this year�s Pilots For Kids events bring to memory�s forefront a quote by the early American writer Mary Ellen Chase who once said, �Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.�

PFK 2014 at Sanford Children's Hospital

On a cold, clear day in mid-December just a few weeks before Christmas, Delta pilots Chris Rossing and Paul Dokken, in partnership with Pilots for Kids, took time out of their schedules to spread some holiday cheer and visit the �Castle� also known as Sanford Children�s Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD. With over $800 worth of toys in tow, Chris and Paul enjoyed both visiting the kids and distributing gifts that included such items as soft plush Delta planes, Lego kits, games, puzzles, soccer balls and more to current residents of the Castle. Having to spend time in a hospital as a kid is never fun and doing so during the holidays is even worse. But a visit from uniformed pilots handing out presents both impressed and delighted the kids and their parents alike and helped make their day a little brighter.

PFK 2013 at Sanford Children's Hospital

Delta pilots Chris Rossing and Mike Meyers distribute toys to sick kids at Sanford Children's Hospital just in time for the holidays in mid December 2013.