Wing walker to raise money for cancer charity

FORT COLLINS — Dana Drake, adventurist and patient at Orthopaedic & Spine Center of the Rockies, has partnered with OCR to raise money for RamStrength  through his aerobatic wing walk attempt.

The attempt, which consists of Drake walking on the wings of his airplane and performing stunts mid-flight, will take place in Sequim, Wash., on Aug. 29 and 30. Individuals and businesses can support the Wing Walk by making monetary pledges to RamStrength, a local nonprofit that provides cancer survivors with financial assistance.

“When I was young, my father would take my brother and me to airshows.

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During the shows, all the different sizes and shapes of airplanes are not what caught my 6-year-old eye; it was the aerobatic stunt pilots,” said Drake. “As the years progressed I traded my first bike in for dirt bikes, fast road racing bikes, skydiving and paddle boarding high water rivers, which all led to wing walking.”

Drake began training for wing walking in 2015 and continues to try new stunts during the plane’s aerobatic maneuvers each year. In 2017, he was one of four from the Michael Mason Wing Walking Academy who ever attempted “The Hang,” a stunt where the walker walks out onto the lower wing of a 1943 Stearman Bi-Wing plane, sits down, wraps his legs around the wing struts and leans backward to hang upside down while 5,000 feet in the air.

“Each time I walk on the wing, I think how blessed I am to have lived such a healthy life.,” said Drake. “With the support of Orthopaedic & Spine Center of the Rockies, I am dedicating my Wing Walk to RamStrength , a cause that is very close to both me and the physicians at OCR.”

RamStrength is the only local non-profit that provides financial assistance for all types of cancer survivors in Northern Colorado. The non-profit provides assistance with rent payments, car payments and unforeseen auto repairs, monthly bills for utilities and groceries, transportation to and from chemotherapy appointments, medical insurance premiums, prescription or lab co-pays.

“One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Cancer is a devastating disease physically, emotionally and financially,” said Michelle Boyle, RamStrength executive director. “RamStrength does not want cancer patients to have to worry about the financial burden of the disease while they are battling for their lives. This is why we provide financial assistance for the basic needs of our local cancer patients. And we are so grateful for the support of this Wing Walk. For without the support of our local community we could not serve these patients.”