Volunteer pilots, fire and rescue teams, and aerospace pioneers who support the mission of Angel Flight West (AFW) will be honored May 9 at the 11th annual Endeavor Awards. The ceremony at the Wallis Annenberg Building of the California Science Center in Los Angeles will celebrate aviation volunteers and professionals who serve the public good.
Among those being recognized are 2025 Inspiration Award recipients Mark Baker, past president of AOPA; Los Angeles aerial firefighters and first responders; and the Polaris Dawn space crew. Accepting on behalf of Polaris Dawn will be crew member Sarah Gillis.
Two Endeavor Awards will be presented to volunteer pilots Mike Evans of Angel Flight West and Lisa Fusano of Aviation Explorers Post 747. AFW patients who have benefited from volunteer flights will be in attendance, and special tributes will honor fire crews who served during this year’s Los Angeles wildfire season. The gala will be emceed by Stephanie Goetz of The Pink Jet.
“This year’s Endeavor Awards is a testament to the incredible power of community,” said AFW executive director Mary Hunter. “Aviation has the power to change lives, to bring heroes together to respond to natural disasters, to advance access to medical care, and to move us forward.”
The May 9 ceremony will begin with an outdoor reception featuring flyovers by the Condor Squadron and an aerobatic display by Anthony Oshinuga, followed by a red-carpet entrance and an indoor gala program.
A silent auction benefiting AFW and its passengers will launch on Friday, May 2, at 10 a.m. PT and remain open through May 9 at 9 p.m. The auction proceeds will support thousands of annual missions flown by volunteer pilots to transport patients to essential medical care.
Angel Flight West has coordinated more than 100,000 flights since its founding, providing transportation to healthcare for patients across the western U.S. The organization has raised $6.6 million to honor volunteers and fund public benefit flying since launching the Endeavor Awards in 2014.