Silver Wings Ball raises more than $20,000 in support of Hangar 25
A night of glitz and glamour, with an ambiance of history preservation ... the Silver Wings Ball 2021 goes down as another successful evening.
As the pandemic continues and “normal” still seems to be on the far horizon, a small sense of normalcy started the year off as the tradition continued with the annual fundraiser in support of Hangar 25 Air Museum
“Amazing ... that’s the only way I can think to describe the evening,” Amber Stokes, Hangar 25 Air Museum Director, said. “It was a night filled with good food, live music and the main reason we were there, lots of support for the Hangar.”
According to Stokes, the fundraiser - which also serves as the main fundraiser for the Hangar each year - netted around $21,000. While exact numbers weren’t available from the previous years fundraising efforts, the amount was more significant than in previous
years. While the pandemic has caused some unexpected hurdles for the Hangar over the past year, in the end, it seems a silver lining has been found.
“I don’t want to say the pandemic helped us; it hurt us as far as us having to close for a bit, but it also showed people that something like a museum is a need,” Stokes said. “If something like a museum isn’t open then we don’t get visitors, the donations ...”
While many events in the community have been cancelled, revamped to a virtual platform or postponed, the Silver Wings Ball committee decided while it may take a little extra leg work not having the annual fundraiser was not an option. In anticipation and expectancy of being another tough year, the committee members took to making phone calls, sending e-mails and a few face to face visits to help gather sponsorships for the event and other support for the Hangar. The desire to keep the history of the Hangar and World War II history alive was evident in the efforts put forth this year. Keeping history alive is important to the continuing and building of any community; keeping the military history alive is even more important to the foundation and growth of our nation as a whole. The difference can be seen on a different level in each community, and throughout the community of Big
Spring, the impact that Webb Air Force Base and the sacrifices of those who served our nation can still be seen to this day.
“There are not many WWII Hangars left in the United States that aren’t at a base and even then we are one of the very few and to have something like that in Big Spring, we are lucky. The committee members pushed that importance this year as they went out and made connections,” Stokes said. “We have to preserve this history because it was so vital to the town.”
In addition to a specially hand-crafted meal, live and silent auction items, and the new design and atmosphere of the Club at Silver Hills, the evening included live music from Eddie Austin and the Texas Silhouettes. A new addition to the evening was the Missing Man table ceremony, which was performed by sponsor of the ball, committee member, and Co-owner of Inspirations Arick Higginbotham.
“It was a wonderful night. Everything kind of went the way we wanted it to. No event is perfect, but the little bumps we had were worth it,” she said. “It’s not only preserving our history, but it’s about honoring our past veterans, current veterans and maybe inspiring some young person that may enlist one day.”