Today we kick off the Hope with Wings Tour. Flying 500 miles to raise funds and collect 1,350 wishes from kids, in honor of Children’s Home & Aid’s 135 years of caring for kids and families. We will be following the tour with live updates, tweets, videos and photos posted on this page. Come back for periodic updates and follow along as we connect children and families across Illinois. #HopeWithWings

Update – Monday, June 4, 9:00 AM

We are just getting set up at the Chicago Executive Airport and waiting for the arrival of 30 kids from our Palatine Child & Family Center.

Update – Monday, June 4, 10:00 AM

Paul Wood has arrived with his plane. We are getting excited!

Update – Monday, June 4, 10:30 AM

Here come the kids!

Update – Monday, June 4, 11:20 AM

Paul and Nancy read books to the kids, received their hope chest filled with butterflies of hope and then it was time to sit in the plane and earn some pilot wings.

Update – Monday, June 4, 11:50 AM

Everyone gets together for a final photo. Thank you to all the Community Childcare Center of Palatine staff and parent volunteers for making this amazing event possible.

Update – Monday, June 4, 12:30 PM

Nancy taking photos of Paul from the air.

Update – Monday, June 4, 3:15 PM

We are on the ground in Rockford and getting set up for the celebration this evening at Kaney Aeronautics Hangar at the Rockford Airport.

Update – Monday, June 4, 6:45 PM

We had an amazing evening at Kaney Aeronautics Hangar at the Rockford Airport. Thank you to all the donors, elected officials and staff that came out to make the evening an incredible success.

Update – Tuesday, June 5, 9:30 AM

We kicked off the tour today with a meeting in our new Rockford offices with staff. What an amazing team and a beautiful new space.

Update – Tuesday, June 5, 11:15 AM

It is wheels-up time as we leave Rockford and head to the Cahokia, IL airport for a celebration with many of our community partners, staff and supporters in the Metro East area.

Update – Tuesday, June 5, 1:30 PM

Nancy and Paul arrived in Cahokia, IL! Nancy even had her first flying lesson and flew part of the leg.

Update – Tuesday, June 5, 2 PM

The party is underway! Folks have began arriving.

Update – Tuesday, June 5, 2:30 PM

Ken Krieg, Southern Region Advisory Board Chairman, has kicked off the program portion with a warm welcome.

Update – Tuesday, June 5, 2:45 PM

We’re so thrilled today to honor three of our tireless partners and advocates for children and families in the Southern Region. Receiving the Champion for Children Award today are Senator Bill Haine, presented by St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly; Jewell Backs, a long-time CCR&R volunteer, presented by Elaine Rodgers, Program Supervisor; and, Debbie Humphries, Associate Director at the St. Clair County Mental Health Board, presented by Renae Storey, Southern Region Vice President.

Update – Tuesday, June 5, 4 PM

Although it was a balmy 90 degrees, we couldn’t have asked for better weather, friends or food to celebrate our 135th anniversary! Thank you to our staff, donors, clients and elected officials who came out to spend the afternoon with us.

Update – Wednesday, June 6, 10 AM

We concluded our stop in Cahokia with a meeting at our East St. Louis office. It was great to meet with our Southern Region staff to share our successes and challenges as we look to the future. Next stop? Bloomington, IL.

Update – Wednesday, June 6, 1 PM

Nancy and Paul arrive in Bloomington for a visit to the Scott Early Learning Center. They met with staff, members of the regional board, and had a presentation of the Central Regions time capsule from boys and girls at the Scott Early Learning Center.