Hang Gliding and Paragliding Volume 44 / Issue 12:December 2014 | Page 20

recipients of support. Munk doesn’t think only about next year; he is in for the long haul. “We’re focusing on about 10 to 15 years down the road, when we hope to be able to celebrate an increase in jobs and the development of a selfsufficient economy,” he says. “It’s the give-back drug that keeps us getting up in the morning and coming to work.” More wings are needed to keep this wheel turning! Of the 450 bags made for the Cloudbase Foundation, 250 were sold at OR. The remaining bags are available at the USHPA store, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Cloudbase Foundation. If their supply is exhausted, check keenfootwear.com. KEEN plans to launch the next wave of bags in February 2015 (with a percentage of proceeds continuing to go to the Cloudbase Foundation) and has aspirations to begin utilizing old hang glider sails (stay tuned). If you have an old paraglider you’d like to donate, please contact [email protected]. KEEN will cover the cost of shipping, and a receipt can be provided for tax 20 HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE deductions. So what’s stopping you? The risers and lines are not used, so it’s the perfect time to make that simulator you’ve always wanted. Clear out some space in your closet and give new, farreaching life to an old wing. Morton Teen Center What do you get when you mix a Dragonfly tug plane, an excavator, and handmade dishcloths? In a pictureperfect example of a grassroots fundraising effort, the event dubbed as a “Fly-in/Fundraiser/Para-Hang Social” was a complete success in raising over $3400 for the Morton Teen Center in Morton, Washington. Like Repurpose for a Purpose, this project also started as a simple idea. When Washington pilots Jenn Kaatz and Dave and Diana Auman put their heads together, the Morton Teen Center was a clear choice for a fundraising benefit. The Teen Center is already a community-supported effort in the little logging town of Morton. The industry has largely left the area, ABOVE View of Area 151 from launch. RIGHT Custom repurposed-paraglider bag-making station at KEENFest | photo by James “Q” Martin. leaving the town’s economy generally depressed. Many storefronts are empty, and teens often have nowhere to go. Since 2002, the Teen Center has been working to change that. When the property on which the Teen Center was located was sold, 20 citizens of the town purchased an entire building to permanently house the Teen Center. Operating out of a former grocery store, the Teen Center currently provides local teens with a place to hang out, do homework, use the Internet, play pool, and generally socialize in a cool spot. Staffing is provided by AmeriCorps, which means young and excited people are providing moral support and leadership to local teens. What does this have to do with flying? That’s where the magic happened. The Aumans own a 151-acre plot of land outside of Morton, known as Area