Angel Flight Southeast's Steve Purello to Win Endeavor Award

LEESBURG, Fla. - May 8, 2015 - PRLog -- Steve Purello, CEO of Angel Flight Southeast (http://www.angelflightse.org/), is one of three volunteer pilots who will be recognized on May 30, at the 2015 Endeavor Awards in Los Angeles, CA.

The Endeavor Awards (http://www.endeavorawards.org/) recognize individual volunteer pilots whose aviation services go above and beyond expectations.  Consideration is given to the amount and nature of their service, accomplishments, acts of compassion, commitment and impact on the pilot community and the community at large.

In addition to overseeing the non-profit network of 650 pilots who donate their time, personal aircraft and fuel to fly patients to life-saving medical appointments, Purello flies as many as 25 passenger missions a year himself. He has been flying for various volunteer pilot organizations including Angel Flight Southeast for 20 years.

 “For nine years I've been flying from Miami to Gainesville and back, always enjoying the friendliness, the care that this pilots offer,” said Antonio Milanes, an Angel Flight Southeast passenger. “Steve Purello saved my life. I believe life can change in a matter of minutes, sometimes for the worst. An angel, from Angel Flight Southeast, was sent to me and my life was spared. I am eternally grateful.”

Purello and the other two Endeavor Award recipients will receive a $15,000 donation to their respective charity.

“We are fortunate in this country to have so many dedicated volunteer pilots who provide thousands of free flights every day to serve people and communities. The Endeavor Awards were created to honor volunteer pilots and provide support to the non-profit organizations that arrange their flights,” said Mark Wolper, Chair of the Endeavor Awards.

“Steve’s contribution to the people Angel Flight Southeast serves seems endless,” said Steve King, Angel Flight Southeast Vice Chairman.  “He is constantly working to raise money to help pay for fees and services that ensure our pilots can meet the demand for the approximately 3,000 passenger trips requested each year. He has enhanced operation efficiency to where every dollar donated generates more than $10 of contributed services. Yet after all that, Steve still puts on his volunteer hat to fly Angel Flight Southeast passengers to get the care they need. We are thrilled for his recognition.”

The other 2015 Endeavor Award recipients are John Billings with Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic and Richard Durden with LightHawk.

About Angel Flight Southeast

Angel Flight Southeast is a non-profit volunteer pilot organization that provides free air transportation to distant medical facilities when commercial air service is not available, impractical or simply not affordable. Angel Flight Southeast is a member of the Air Charity Network, an association of charitable aviation organizations comprised of more than 7,500 pilots and who represent over 90% of all charitable non-emergency flights flown in the nation. Angel Flight Southeast has won the seal of approval from Independent Charities of America recognizing Angel Flight Southeast as a good steward of the funds it generates from the public.