WorldWide Drilling Resource

The Tale of a Living Symbol Adapted from Information by the American Eagle Foundation The bald eagle is not only America’s symbol of freedom, liberty, and independence, it’s also the National Bird. Native to North America, the bald eagle can be found living in the wild in every state except Hawaii. The American Eagle Foundation (AEF) is a nonprofit organization which began in 1985. The organization is dedicated to the care of bald eagles and other birds of prey. If you’ve seen a bald eagle at an event, flying through a stadium or arena during the National Anthem, it was probably one of their most famous birds, Challenger. The story of Challenger begins in Louisiana in 1989. He was just a baby when a storm caused him to be blown from his nest. He was rescued by people who hand-fed and raised him for a few months. Unfortunately, this act of kindness would cause him to imprint on humans and lead to problems down the road. He was brought to the Audubon Zoo of New Orleans, where they cared for him and released him into the wild as soon as he was able to fly. Sadly, he wasn’t able to care for himself in the wild. He was re- leased a total of three times during his first summer, but each time, he would end up seeking out people to feed him when he was hungry. At one point, he was extremely emaciated. It became clear Challenger couldn’t hunt and was unable to take care of himself in the wild. Officials took him to the American Eagle Foundation where he was named in honor of the fallen crew of the space shuttle Challenger. He became a very well-trained eagle which impressed AEF Founder Al Cecere, who had a vision. What if he could train Challenger to perform free flight demonstrations during the “Star Spangled Banner”? Was this bald eagle up for the challenge? You bet! In 1995, in front of a crowd attending the Bassmaster Classic in North Carolina, he demonstrated the power of his species. Challenger became the first bald eagle in U.S. history trained to free fly into stadiums, arenas, and other events. Since then, he has performed over 350 free flight demonstrations, including at professional football, basketball, and baseball games, presidential inaugurations, White House events, and numerous TV shows. His image is even on specialty Tennessee license plates and coins. Challenger currently lives at the AEF Headquarters in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Nearly 30 years ago, AEF partnered with the Dollywood Company to design and develop the United States Eagle Center at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Millions of visitors from around the world come to the center to learn more about this regal species and the importance of protect- ing and conserving them for future generations. Although Challenger is truly one-of-a-kind, he’s only one of about 75 non- releasable birds who rely on the efforts of AEF. The foundation cares for, and rehabilitates bald eagles, owls, falcons, hawks, and other birds of prey. The goal is to release them back into the wild once they are rehabilitated, but if their injuries are too bad, they are given a permanent home at the AEF, or another raptor facility. If you are interested in supporting the American Eagle Foundation, you can make a donation or adopt one of their nonreleasable birds through their website eagles.org The WWDR Team was able to get this photo of Challenger with Laura Sterbens fromAEF at the Permian Basin International Oil Show. Challenger spreads his wings and soars through the stadium as the “Star Spangled Banner” is played. He swoops! He circles! He dives! Suddenly the crowd grows silent while he makes his final descent as the very last word of the National Anthem is sung. He gracefully lands on his trainer’s glove. Thousands cheer and wipe tears from their eyes, touched by the sight of this Living Symbol of Freedom soaring right in front of them. Photo courtesy of American Eagle Foundation. 24 MARCH 2019 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Congratulati ons to : David Cheek C & C Pump Sales & Svc Frankl in, NC Winner for February! Time for a Little Fun! February Puzzle Solution: Blackadar Insurance Agency GEFCO, Inc. Win a prize! Send your completed puzzle to: WWDR PO Box 660 Bonifay, FL 32425 or fax to: 850-547-0329 Can you identify which ads in this issue these two photos came from? It better befits a man to laugh at life than to lament over it. ~Seneca