Written Pieces
Sept. 7, 2023 — The 32nd annual Fly/In Cruise/In took place Saturday at the Marion, Indiana Municipal Airport, which included a bottomless pancake breakfast paired with hundreds of antique vehicles. The all you can eat pancake breakfast was served from 7:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. with proceeds going toward the Grant County Rescue Mission (GCRM) in Marion, Indiana.
Brad Terhune serves as executive director of the GCRM.
Terhune said, “We get to serve breakfast and serve people well to show them what we get to do all the time, which is serve food to people who are in need.”
The Fly In/Cruise/In Pancake Breakfast is one of four major fundraisers that help fund the ministry. Terhune said that there are other ways to get involved at the GCRM through volunteering or donating to their thrift ministry.
Along with the Pancake Breakfast, the event featured a display of antique cars and aircraft from several different states. Historic vehicles such as two restored U.S. Army UH-1H “Huey” helicopters were displayed.
Ralph and Faye Shipley brought two vehicles that were showcased at the event. Ralph Shipley said that one of the vehicles was a 1947 Mack Rat Rod that was featured in an issue of Rat Rod Magazine in 2012.
The couple also said they enjoy attending local car shows.
“It’s a lot of fun to hang out… run into people you haven’t seen in a long time and catch up,” Faye Shirley said.
Ray Johnson serves as coordinator of the Fly/In Cruise/In. Johnson said his fascination with aircraft was sparked at the age of five when he recalled watching his uncle land a plane in his family’s wheat field. Beyond his admiration for planes, Johnson said the Fly/In Cruise/In is about uniting the community.
Johnson said, “It’s about the community, volunteerism and bringing people together… we live in a wonderful community here in Marion and Grant County and you can see they’re all out here supporting the Grant County Rescue Mission. How can it get any better?”
IWU Honors Those Who Serve
Nov. 13, 2023 — In partnership with the Grant County Veterans Service Office (GCVO), Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) will host a free breakfast in honor of veterans on Thursday, Nov. 16.
IWU hosts an annual Veteran’s Day celebration, typically on Veteran’s Day. This year was an exception due to the holiday falling on a Friday. The celebration will take place on Nov. 16, as a part of GCVS’s Military Appreciation Week.
Bob Burchell serves as the chairman of the planning committee for the event. Burchell said he has always had respect for those who fight, starting with his father who served in the Navy from 1955-1959.
“It takes a special person to put your life on the line that way and be willing to die for the benefit of someone else,” Burchell said. “Jesus said ‘greater love has no one than who would lay down his life for another’ and I view veterans and our active-duty military in that kind of context and I’m grateful.”
Starting at 7:30 a.m., the celebration will feature an hour-and-a-half long program, including breakfast and a keynote speaker.
Speaking at the event is IWU alum Steven Shepherd.
“As veterans, it’s important that we tell our stories and we let young people know our takeaways… maybe inspire them to serve in some capacity,” Shepherd said.
Following the loss of his brother in 2021, Shepherd said he reflected on ways he could validate what he had done in his own life. He enrolled in IWU’s Veterans Program through IWU National and Global and was recently awarded a bachelor’s degree in Dec. 2022.
Shepherd enlisted after graduating high school in 1983, beginning his 34 years of service.
“I heard the stories and saw what the great men had done in my life, had done for their families and for their country,” Shepherd said. “I wanted to follow into their footsteps.”
IWU’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) will also present the flags and conduct a tolling of the bell at the conclusion of the breakfast.
Hadessah Vandaveer is a sophomore enrolled in the ROTC program at IWU. As a member of the ROTC group, she said she now has a new appreciation for veterans.
“I’m going through this tiny little rainstorm in a forest training, but they went through monsoons and rain forests, fighting real battles,” Vandaveer said. “If they can do that, I can do this small bit for my country.”
Following the breakfast and presentation, “The 2 Sides Project,” a PBS documentary, will be shown in the Globe Theater at 9:15 a.m.
On Thursday afternoon displays will be set up in the commons area from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., including tables filled with historical military items, panels for each of the branches of the U.S. armed forces and a prayer station.
Guests can register to attend the breakfast at https://indwes.irisregistration.com/Form/iwu2023veteransdaycelebration.