Some have asked: “Dianna, what’s your Mrs. Nevada “Why?”
For me, it’s about shining a brighter light on our nation’s largest plague: the opioid epidemic.
Take Flight to Fight the Opioid Epidemic began when I started taking youth on their first airplane ride in 2015. The young people I’ve flown come from what sociologists have identified as at-risk sections of our society. When they were escorted out to the ramp by fellow volunteers to meet me and my plane, their eyes were cast down, shoulders slumped. Some were reluctant to fly but after a little persuasion, they begrudgingly took a seat (I can be very persuasive)!
We would fly for 25-30 minutes, then land and deplane. And oh……the light in their eyes and smiles on their faces! Shoulders back and head held high. Then it clicked for me: spark an interest, plant a goal seed, and give young people something to hope for and dream about.
That’s when Take Flight to Fight the Opioid Epidemic was born.
Via this initiative and the help of SO MANY of you, we were able to raise over $10,000 to go towards food and much-needed renovations. Additionally, we provided 324 homecooked meals to the gentlemen in-residence at Freedom House so they could focus on their recovery. I look forward to continuing my work with for as long as they’ll have me! I’m also looking forward to helping our youth channel their energy towards goals.
