Wings for All event - Grand Forks International Airport - Sept. 15, 2018

NDAD was a sponsor of the first Wings for All event in North Dakota Sept. 15.

Brought to Grand Forks International Airport by The Arc, Upper Valley, the program received the NDAD Faye Gibbens Memorial Grant that is awarded to an agency or organization to be used for a health, welfare, social service or educational purpose for at-risk populations.

Grand Forks International Airport, Allegiant Airlines and Transportation Security Administration officials also were key participants.

Wings for All and a companion program, Wings for Autism, are national initiatives by The Arc -- airport “rehearsals” specially designed for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and people with other intellectual/developmental disabilities, their families and aviation professionals.

The programs were designed to alleviate some of the stress that families who have a child with autism experience when traveling by air, according to The Arc national website. The programs provide families with the opportunity to practice entering the airport, obtaining boarding passes, going through security and boarding a plane.

As with counterpart events held elsewhere, the Grand Forks event was designed to give airport, airline, Transportation Security Administration professionals and other personnel the opportunity to observe, interact and deliver their services in a structured, learning environment.

GALLERY PHOTOS: Leslie Stastny, NDAD.