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The AMA Foundation thanks each and every one of our donors for their continued support of AMA programs. We have compiled some information that might be helpful. This information is provided by Independent Sector, and provides important information on how the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides incentives for charitable giving.

• Donors may be eligible for a $300 universal charitable deduction: Permits individuals to deduct up to $300 of cash contributions to most charities in 2020 for those who do not itemize their deductions.
• New changes on limitations for charitable giving: Suspends the limitation on deductions for cash contributions to most charities for individuals who itemize. Increases the limitation on deductions for similar contributions by corporations from 10% to 25% of taxable income. Also increases the limitation on deductions from 15% to 25% for contributions of food inventory.
• The CARES Act temporarily waves required minimum distributions (RMDs) for all types of retirement plans for the year 2020.

The AMA Foundation encourages you to speak with your financial advisor on these updates. Things are evolving and changing every day, so please continue to monitor our website and others for important information.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation while we do our part to address COVID-19. The safety of our staff, members, and community are AMA’s top priority. Together we can work to slow the spread of COVID-19 and eventually life will return to normal. Please check our website /amafoundation/covid-19-update/ for more information.

Michael (Mike) Lee Mosbrooker, 81, of Oak Harbor, Washington, passed away on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at home surrounded by his family after a brief battle with metastatic melanoma. Memorial service will be held at 10am on Thursday, March 5, 2020, at Wallin Funeral Home in Oak Harbor, with Chaplain David G. Lura officiating. Mike was born in Valley City, North Dakota to Alvin and Elvira Mosbrooker on Friday, June 17, 1938. Mike’s family moved to Los Angeles when Mike was 5. Mike worked alongside his dad and grandfather as a carpenter, finishing his apprenticeship at age 19. He was also an auto enthusiast, working as a body and fender specialist and drag racing in his spare time. Mike earned a degree in applied mathematics from California Polytechnic State University where he also participated in Glee Club, ROTC, and the National Society of Scabbard and Blade. He later earned a master’s degree in nuclear physics from the Naval Postgraduate School. Mike served for 20 years in the United States Army, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. He was a Senior Army Parachutist and Ranger and served with the 75th Artillery, 10th Special Forces, 1st Infantry Division, 46th Artillery, 173rd Airborne Brigade, 76th Artillery and the 3rd Infantry Division in addition to multiple staff positions. Mike earned multiple decorations including the Legion of Merit, six Bronze Star Medals for Valor and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. After retiring from the military, Mike held multiple positions as an engineer and program manager. He later built and managed apartment buildings with his good friend, Robert Rathe. Mike met and married Judith (Judie) Ruth Ginsberg while he was stationed in Bad Tölz, Germany with Special Forces. Mike and Judie had three children: Patti, Mike and Eric. Judie died in 1991 after a short battle with breast cancer. Mike married Helen Swanner in 1992 and they have resided together in Oak Harbor since 1994. Mike had many loves in his life in addition to his family: beagles, model airplanes, traveling, golfing, boating, sports, piloting airplanes and spending time in his workshop. Mike started flying model airplanes at age 5 with his mother’s help and flew his final flight on New Year’s Day 2020. Mike held many leadership positions with the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) and was awarded the AMA Fellowship Award in 2020 for his distinguished service. Mike and Helen traveled in their trailer (with beagles) to numerous model airplane events and also traveled (without beagles) to Europe, Asia, Australasia and South America. Mike’s greatest joy were his three grandchildren: Jesse (18), Caroline (16), and Zachary (11 months). Mike also had two stepchildren: Tammy and David; and six step-grandchildren. In addition to his children and grandchildren, Mike is survived by his wife, Helen; brother, Harold; numerous nieces, grandnieces and grandnephews; his son-in-law, Jon; and daughters-in-law, Lisa and Karyn. Mike lived a full life and he was admired, respected and loved by those he touched. In lieu of flowers, Mike requested memorials be made to the AMA Foundation at https://www.modelaircraft.org/donate or the Toddler Learning Center at https://www.tlcwhidbey.org/ways-you-can-help.

A Walk of Fame brick purchased in memory of Mike by his loving family

In memory of fellow AMA member, Andy Kane, the Southwest Area Park R/C Model Airplane Club made a $100 donation to the AMA Foundation. Andy was a true ambassador of the hobby, not only for his home club (DCRC), but also for numerous local and regional clubs. He attended the majority of the club's annual major events over the past 25 years helping to make them the successes they were. His leadership and promotion of radio-controlled modeling will surely be missed.

Lazy Eight RC Club recently received an AMA Club Recognition and Reward Grant for $75. The club is located in Johnstown, NY. The club held an event in which they raised money for Warm the Children. At the end of the day, the club was able to had a check for $855 over to the organization so they could provide clothing for children for the winter. The AMA Club Recognition and Reward Program was established to encourage clubs to promote model aviation. The AMA offers clubs cash incentives for positive local media coverage for a public event, public service, club announcement, or other coverage. Click here to learn more about this program.

Celine Flying Sportman recently received an AMA Club Recognition and Reward Grant for $75. The club is located in Celina, OH. The club held their annual event, A Gathering of Legends, in Celina, OH. The event included warbirds of every size, a foam frenzy, a concession stand and more. People were able to bring their lawnchairs and watch the flight all day as members took-off down the runway. Several planes of different sizes, some up to 50 pounds, were at the event. The AMA Club Recognition and Reward Program was established to encourage clubs to promote model aviation. The AMA offers clubs cash incentives for positive local media coverage for a public event, public service, club announcement, or other coverage. Click here to learn more about this program.

Des Moine Model Aires recently received an AMA Club Recognition and Reward Grant for $50. The club is located in Clive, IA. The club held a Radio Controlled Auction in Ankeny. Everyone was welcomed to attend the auction and participate to have the chance to take home a model airplane. The AMA Club Recognition and Reward Program was established to encourage clubs to promote model aviation. The AMA offers clubs cash incentives for positive local media coverage for a public event, public service, club announcement, or other coverage. Click here to learn more about this program.

Congratulations to each AMA club that qualified for an AMA Club Recognition and Reward Grant in 2019. We are thrilled to share with the membership that the entire $5,000 allotted to provide funding to clubs was awarded to 50 clubs. This means our clubs are going above and beyond to share positive stories about model flying activities. The more our clubs share, the more our hobby receives recognition. Thank you to each of these clubs for doing their part to make this happen. The Academy of Model Aeronautics encourages clubs across the country to take part in events and serve the community in ways that will entice community members to learn more about the hobby of model aviation. Becoming a vital part of your community will help your club build your membership and inspire others, including the youth in your community. To encourage clubs to promote model aviation, the AMA offers clubs cash incentives for positive local media coverage for a public event, public service, club announcement, or other coverage. The program is simple. If your club has received publicity through the local media, simply submit the article, radio segment, or television clip to AMA’s Public Relations department. The department will review your application, and reward your club’s treasury based on the coverage received. Atoms Rcers Beresford Area Radio Flyers Binghampton Aeros Bristol County R/C Club Cape May County Wireless Aircraft Sport Pilots Capital Area Radio Drone Squadron Casa Grande RC Flyers Casper Airmodelers Cedar Rapids Skyhawks Celina Flying Sportman Coachella Valley Radio Control Club Des Moines Model Aires El Paso Radio Controllers Fluvanna County R/C Flying Club Fort Ben Radio Control Club Fremont County RC Club Heart of Texas Miniature Aircraft Club Holly Springs Skyhawks Radio Control Group Kootenai RC Flyers Lazy Eight RC Club Lewes RC Club Lincoln Sky Knight RC Club Mid Arkansas Radio Control Society Midwest Sundowners N.E. Kansas Blue Sky Squadron North Georgia Model Aviators Olympic RC Modelers Owatonna RC Modelers Palm Beach Radio Control Association RC Sport Flyers River City Radio Controllers Rochester Aeromodeling Society Rock River Aeromodelers Society Seminole Radio Control Club Sky Kings R/C Club South Coast RC Squadron Southern Indiana Flying Eagles Southwest Area Park Modelers SPARKS INC Stonecrest RC Flyers Sunday Flyers Susquehanna Valley Modelers Tampa Radio Control Aircraft Club Tinley Creek RC Club Tuscarora R/C Flying Club Viehe RC Fliers Wenatchee Red Apple Flyers

Thank you to the family of Warren Kurth for donating to the AMA Foundation in honor of Warren. Warren Kurth was born on April 5, 1933 in Bloomington, Illinois. His modeling career began with a sheet-balsa model kit when he was six years old. He was an assistant instructor at a YMCA model building class during junior high school. Warren lectured on model building, flew Control Line demonstrations, and taught a model building class at the community center for disadvantaged boys when he was in high school. Warren designed several models in his career, including the Miniball, Jetstream, Hedgehopper, Peetriot, and the infamous Peanut. The Miniball, first published in the October 1970 issue of Model AIrplane News, had seven National AMA records in 1/2 A Proto Speed in Open, Junior, and Senior classes between 1968 and 1972. Warren's Jetstream also won many trophies in 1956, 1960, and 1961. The Jetstream set three national AMA records in 1959 and the early 1960's. Several of Warren's kits and complete airplanes were donated to the National Model Aviation Museum.

For the past nine years, the AMA has received generous grant funding from the Arconic Foundation (formerly known as Alcoa) for STEM programming across the U.S. 2019 was no different, as the AMA was the recipient of a $100,000 grant that supports primarily STEM workshops for teachers. The workshops engage teachers in a variety of hands on, STEM-based activities using a Flight Research Kit, an AMA Alpha, and a Guillow’s Jetstream, all of which they can take into their classrooms and share with students. The classroom activities are designed to help students develop spatial intelligence as well as practice applied math and physics skills, such as the four forces of flight, through inquiry-based learning. These rigorous activities have been aligned to state and national science and math standards and have been used successfully by middle and high school teachers across the U.S. The grant also supports team participation in the AMA's national aerial robotics competition, UAS4STEM. Funding from the Arconic Foundation will be used to subsidize the registration, competition, and travel expenses of select teams in communities where Arconic has a presence. The AMA will conduct the grant activities through August 2020. If you are interested in learning more about STEM workshops or UAS4STEM, please contact kylej@modelaircraft.org.

SPARKS Inc recently received an AMA Club Recognition and Reward Grant for $150. The club is located in St. Petersburg, FL. The AMA Club Recognition and Reward Program was established to encourage clubs to promote model aviation. The AMA offers clubs cash incentives for positive local media coverage for a public event, public service, club announcement, or other coverage. Click here to learn more about this program.