Stafford, Va. — If Thomas could fly he would take his mommy with him.
The 4-year-old and his mother climbed into a makeshift jet cockpit and had their picture taken on Saturday.
It was one of the many ways to remember the annual Wings and Wheels festival at the Stafford Regional Airport.
The fundraiser was billed as the largest in Stafford County, with an estimated $5,000 going to literacy and scholarship programs across the region.
The money will also be used to present each third-grade student in Stafford County with a dictionary.
“With the economy that way it is now it’s critical for us to be able to give back,” said Carol Foley, with the Stafford Rotary Club. “Rotary’s motto is ‘service above self,’ and everyone you see working with us here, wearing a t-shirt, is a volunteer. No one gets paid.”
There were many airplanes, helicopters and other military gear on display at the airport, but there was also a classic car show, and a display of vintage fire trucks from around the region.
This year’s festival also included more events that attracted children, which in turn attracted more parents this year, said Foley.
Last year rubber ducks were dropped from the airport’s tower.
This year small, plush toy cows from Chick-fil-A restaurants – each with parachute attached – were dropped from an airplane.
They made for a quick souvenir for anyone who was standing in the drop zone.
As the festival was winding down, Thomas revealed why he would take his mother with him if he ever becomes a pilot.
“Because I like mommy,” he said.
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