2018 Folds of Honor Patriots Gala

ASM put on an excellent model display at the 2018 Folds of Honor Patriot Gala, which was held on Saturday, October 20, 2018 at the Santa Ana Star Hotel Casino in Bernalillo. The Folds of Honor provides scholarships for the children and spouses of America’s fallen and disabled Service members. The Gala is one of their primary fund-raising events, where donated articles are auctioned off in a silent online auction and old-fashioned verbal auction during the dinner.

We had 81 total models on three tables located in the auction room, and we had a lot of attendees come by to look at the models and ask questions. Thanks to all the ASM members who loaned models for the display. There were six ASM members manning the tables. Thanks for this help to Josh Pals, Frank Randall, Chris Kurtze, Ken Piniak, and Matt and Mike Blohm.

Because of concern there would not be enough models available for the 2001-2018 time period, the display was opened to include subjects from the Korean War and the Viet Nam War. Attendees at the event last year had asked about subjects in use by the services prior to 2001, so expanding it worked, and the “old-timer” attendees were happy to see these models as well. Our display next year will continue with that expanded theme.

Chris Kurtze and Patrick Dick both provided a 1/48-scale model on an F-16C Fighting Falcon in the markings of the New Mexico Air National Guard’s 150th Fighter Wing “Tacos” for the auction.

Feedback from the Folds of Honor leadership was that all the models were “works of art” and that the F-16s were a hit and did very well in the auctions. Chris’s F-16 was auctioned at the dinner on Saturday and Patrick’s was auctioned at the Golf tournament on Monday, October 22. Special thanks to Patrick and Chris for donating their models. We learned later that Chris’s F-16 was sold for $250 and Patrick’s for $225.

The breakdown of the 81 models at the display was as follows. Korea: 12; Viet Nam: 17; 2001-2018: 36; Other: 16. This is ten more models than we had at last month’s Air Force Ball display. We have already received a request for one more Tacos F-16 for a museum in Gallup. ASM should continue to support this very worthwhile effort in 2019.