ARMED FORCES HONORS ATS
About a year ago, ATS, Inc. was approached by Cal Brumbaugh of the Family Assistance Center at Camp Ripley in Minnesota. A Minnesota soldier, Jim VanDenhuvel, had been wounded overseas and was back in Northern California. His family wanted to move him back to Minnesota by Christmas, but were unable to do so.

In response to this request, ATS, Inc. moved Jim’s belongings to Minnesota in time for the holidays. On Friday, January 14, 2005, Brigadier General Erlandson presented a plaque to Rollie Anderson and Kyle Evenson, Customer Service Manager for ATS, Inc. This plaque was in appreciation for ATS’s support of the troops serving our country.

RBJ INDUSTRIES and ATS SUPPORT WINGS OF MERCY
RBJ Industries, an affiliated company of ATS, participates in the Wings of Mercy Program. WINGS OF MERCY INC. provides FREE AIR TRANSPORTATION for people with limited financial means who need treatment at distant medical facilities.

Mr. Peter VandenBosch, a retired businessman in Holland, Michigan, was asked to fly a person in need to a distant medical facility for treatment. Mr. VandenBosch realized that many other people had similar needs, and that he and others had resources to help meet that need.

In June 1991 Mr. VandenBosch and a group of pilots met in Holland, Michigan to organize a service named Wings of Mercy, Inc. to offer flights at no cost to financially needy persons from that area who required specialized medical treatment at distant medical centers. Immediately it became clear that the need was far greater than expected. Based upon their experience upward of 80% of their clients would NOT BE ABLE TO GO FOR SPECIALIZED TREATMENT IF THIS KIND OF SERVICE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. Newspaper, radio and television coverage helped to expand this service. Soon other aircraft owners volunteered their aircraft at locations throughout Western Michigan.

Since that time additional Wings of Mercy chapters have been formed to help meet the growing need. Wings of Mercy Minnesota was established in January of 1995 to serve the people of Minnesota. In early 1996, Wings of Mercy Eastern Michigan was formed by a group of pilots in Midland, Saginaw and Bay City.

All services are performed by volunteers; aircraft owners/operators are reimbursed for fuel only (about 1/3 of the actual cost of operating an aircraft), and many refuse even that. Wings of Mercy is funded entirely by charitable contributions.

One of the patients transported by the ATS plane was Lauren Hemming. The following article from the Traverse City Record-Eagle (January 07, 2005) tells of her struggle with Cancer.

Cherry Queen candidate Hemming's journey ends
TRAVERSE CITY - Lauren Hemming spent the final months of her short life transforming a terminal illness into an inspirational journey that touched friends, family and strangers alike. Lauren's journey ended early Thursday, when the former National Cherry Queen candidate died at her family's home in Peninsula Township after a nine-month fight with cancer. She was 21.

Describing her as a spontaneous and fun-loving coed, those close to Lauren say they won't forget her courage in the face of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a ravaging form of cancer that was discovered in a lung last spring but spread to her brain.

"She probably lived a fuller life than a lot of people ever will, even if they live 40 years longer than she did," said Julia Parsons, a senior at Hillsdale College and among Lauren's closest friends.
Continued on Page 13