May 11, 2021
Recently, four staff from the Boca Raton Airport Authority (BRAA) and 11 volunteers from some of the tenants at Boca Raton Airport (BCT) donated their time to Boca Helping Hands, assisting the Palm Beach County, FL organization pack grocery boxes and bags for distribution to those facing food insecurity.
Along with working to pack grocery boxes and bags with Boca Helping Hands, BRAA hosted a canned food drive and collected 1,226 pounds of supplies with the help of airport tenants.
BRAA has been helping in this way since 2017 as part of an ongoing effort to enhance the airport’s value to the community, while making a visible contribution to the regional economy.
Along with the BRAA staff, volunteers came from Signature Flight Support, Atlantic Aviation, Boomers Boca Raton, Privaira and Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott. The Boca Helping Hands volunteer effort was just one element of a larger community outreach program involving airport staff and tenants. Other events conducted throughout the year include builds with Habitat for Humanity, Toys for Tots holiday drives, community cookouts with the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce and partnering with local colleges on educational outreach promoting careers and opportunities in aviation.
“Volunteering at Boca Helping Hands was a wonderful experience,” said Jada Stewart, BRAA’s accounting coordinator. “It allowed me to take a step back and realize that I should do more in the community around me. Decisions I would not think twice about can be the most crucial for others.”
Robert Pratt, BRAA operations and administration coordinator added, “It’s a great feeling being able to help those in need, especially during these stressful and uncertain times.”
BCT is a busy general aviation airport with two large chain FBOs only minutes from downtown Boca Raton and area beaches, with approximately 40-50% of all traffic being business aircraft, according to BRAA. While total traffic decreased in 2020 as a result of the global pandemic, the airport has seen operations rebound this year and is now back to 2019 levels, which saw 80,926 takeoffs and landings.