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2004 Wings of Heroes Gala

"I wish you all the very best and any time I get a chance I will tell some group or organization,I know a group that can get the job done. If you ever need a recommendation I will not only write one, I will make a personal call with you to present your skills to a possible client." --William J. Rex, Event Chairman, "Wings of Heroes Gala" It started with a phone call out of the blue in late January 2004. "We've got a major fundraising event on the horizon for Seattle's Museum of Flight that will celebrate the grand opening of the Museum's $53.5 Personal Courage Wing which will house the country's finest collection of World War I & II fighter aircraft. We need a great storyteller. The event has grown to the point where we need your help to honor the WWII fighter pilots and the Medal of Honor recipients who are attending." Four months before the Museum of Flight held their inaugural Wings of Heroes Gala, Event Chairman Bill Rex contacted Storyteller Communications founder and Managing Partner Doug Tolmie about producing the Procession of Honor during the event that would pay tribute to World War II fighter pilots and Medal of Honor recipients. One conversation led to another and Doug was asked to produce the entire event which included a five-course gourmet meal served with exquisite Washington Wines, a "Raise Your Paddle" live auction to raise funds for educational programs at the Museum, plus live performances from Frank Sinatra, Jr. and the legendary Harry James orchestra. With years of experience producing more than 50 live broadcast events, Doug served the dual roles of event producer and video producer for the live closed-circuit video broadcast of the Gala. Additionally, Storyteller Communications partner Joe Barnes wrote more than a dozen stories for the Museum's Web site and waged a successful guerilla marketing campaign to publicize the event to hundreds of media outlets, veterans groups, and schools. Housed in the largest tent ever used for a fundraising event in the state of Washington, the Wings of Heroes Gala attracted nearly 1,200 guests for the black tie affair on June 5, 2004. The evening opened with the Procession of Honor, which paid tribute to members of the legendary Flying Tigers and Tuskegee Airmen. More than 60 American Fighter Aces were honored along with six Medal of Honor recipients. Video packages produced by Doug helped introduce each group honored. The Gala guests gave these heroes more than a dozen standing ovations. For most of the fighter pilots who flew in World War II, it was the first time they were ever acknowledged publicly for the tremendous sacrifices they made to put their lives on the line to preserve our country's freedom. A stirring rendition of "Taps" to video shot at a veterans cemetery brought this unforgettable Procession of Honor to a close and created an evening the likes of which will never happen again. The Gala was a resounding success shattering previous fundraisers at the Museum by raising $1.75 million from table sales and from contributions made during the "Raise Your Paddle" portion of the evening. A DVD of the event produced by Doug and Storyteller Communications was given to the Gala's sponsors and guests, and to each of the more than 70 heroes honored during the Procession of Honor.The DVD won a prestigious Silver Telly Award in the 26th annual Telly Awards competition in the category of live events. The Telly Awards attract more than 11,000 entries annually in a variety of categories from the top production companies, film studios, television stations, ad agencies, and corporate video departments throughout the United States and 30 foreign countries. For more information, go to www.tellyawards.com.