2 Pilots Fly To Eradicate Polio, French Valley Airport On Map

FRENCH VALLEY, CA — After traveling more than 25,000 miles and visiting over 20 countries to raise awareness for polio eradication, pilots Peter Teahen and John Ockenfels are scheduled to land at the French Valley Airport next week for a fundraiser.

The pilots are slated to land Tuesday and the touchdown will be their first return to the Continental U.S. since departing from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on May 5, in a single-engine Cessna airplane as part of the "Flight to End Polio" effort, according to a news release from the office of Riverside County Supervisor Chuck Washington, Third District.

The French Valley Airport will be the second to last stop on their journey before returning home to Iowa.

So far, their trip has raised over $1 million for the Rotary Foundation Polio Plus Program. The flight is completely privately funded, and all donations are matched 2:1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, according to the release.

To celebrate the pilots' arrival, the Rotary Club of Temecula is hosting a celebration fundraiser at Monteleone Meadows on Wednesday, July 26.

“Rotary’s fight to eradicate polio is one of our longest standing and most significant efforts,” said Rotary Club of Temecula President, Shane Lesovsky. “Our club is excited to welcome the pilots to our community for this once-in-a-lifetime event and join thousands of Rotarians around the world to amplify this cause.”

“As a Rotary member for over 20 years, I am proud to support this cause, but even more so, as a fellow pilot, I am excited to welcome my fellow Rotarians to my ‘home airport’ in the Third District,” Washington said.

For more information about the Flight to End Polio, visit www.flighttoendpolio.com. For more information about Rotary Club of Temecula’s Welcome Home Celebration & Fundraiser on Wednesday, July 26, visit www.rotarycluboftemecula.com.