On August 2, 2025, AMA Foundation Executive Director Steve Haston and Chief Communications Officer Clarissa Poston had the pleasure of attending Muncie, Indiana's, 2025 Fire Up DWNTWN festival. Later in the day, they were joined by AMA Advertising and Partnership Director Erin Dobbs, who graciously volunteered to help spread the word about AMA and model aviation at this great community event!
Steve drove the Model Aviation Experience Sponsored by Wing to the event, and it was present for the festival's entirety, allowing all attendees to stop by and try their hand at virtual flight! This event ran from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., allowing community members plenty of time to enjoy the thrill of model aviation.
Clarissa stated the following about her time at Fire Up DWNTWN:
"I had a blast. This was my first time working the trailer, and it was so much fun to teach kids (and adults!) the basics of model aviation. We had some visitors who actively fly model aircraft, some who used to fly but haven't in a long time, and some who had never heard of our hobby before. It was great to interact with each person who stopped by, sharing a lot of laughter and smiles.
"Throughout a few hours, there were a handful of youth that would come back to fly every 20 minutes or so. Sometimes they'd come alone to test out different airplanes, and other times they'd bring parents or friends with them to show them what they'd learned. We had some youth who came in and started on beginner mode but left after mastering flight in experienced mode! It was great to see their confidence evolve with each successful flight.
"On behalf of the AMA Foundation, we greatly appreciate Fire Up DWNTWN staff for allowing us to bring the Model Aviation Experience Sponsored by Wing to the event. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to share model aviation with our local community, ensuring that they all left with information about AMA, information about free-to-spectate events that are currently being held at the International Aeromodeling Center, and a sense of newfound excitement about our hobby."
Steve noted that "with a crowd of a few thousand people, it didn't take long before the flights were at full throttle and folks were lining up to take a turn." This year's Fire Up DWNTWN event saw great attendance and a wonderful sense of community. We at the AMA Foundation were thrilled to be part of this event, and we're looking forward to continuing to share the wonders of flight with as many people as possible.
