Planes were the theme of the Lions Club weekly meeting on Wednesday, June 8.

Bruce Delasio, Orcas Radio Control Aircraft Society secretary, and Gene Baney, a retired Marine and commercial airline pilot, presented Orcas Christian School student Chase Kantrud with a $1,000 scholarship.

Kantrud will use the scholarship to assist in funding his private pilot lessons which began on June 13.

“He is a great student, hard working and determined to realize his life-long dream of becoming a commercial airline pilot,” said Delasio.

Audrey Wells, coordinator for the local Mercy Flights, gave a brief presentation on the program.

“I used it and it was a God-send,” said Wells, who gave details about how Mercy Flights is primarily used to transport people on radiation. Pilots are not allowed to transport people who are in labor, having a heart attack or bleeding profusely. Mercy Flights flies patients to towns within a 25-mile radius of the island, however, the rare flight to Seattle has been done.

The organization does not charge for transportation and relies solely on donations. Pilots volunteer their time and are only compensated for fuel costs. The Lion’s Club donated $500 to the fuel fund.

“That is a very generous donation,” said Wells. “We take what we can get.”