John Barnes thought last year’s fly-in by the Shelby County Aviation Association would be a one-time fundraiser to spotlight the crises merchants faced during the Gulf Coast oil spill.

This year the group takes to the air again on May 21 to collect toys for the children who lost everything during the recent tornadoes in

Alabama. Motorcyclists headed by Shelby County Airport Manager Terry Franklin will join the entourage.

 “When we planned this year’s fly-in to the Gulf Air Center we were set to honor member Jerry Hoggatt,” said Barnes, explaining that Hoggatt, an avid pilot and motorcyclist who came down with the group last year, died in a plane crash in December.

The group donated an engraved park bench bearing a likeness of

Hoggatt’s plane to the Shelby County Airport and memorial T-shirts were in the works when the tornadoes barreled through Alabama.  Barnes said members “felt guilty, asking if they should call the event off.”  Instead they stuck to the SCAA credo to be good neighbors and changed the T-shirts for the fly-in to include the motorcyclists and a toy drive for the tornado victims.

“These folks have lost everything,” said Barnes, “We hope folks will remember the kids who have lost their favorite doll or teddy bear.”

Franklin said “one of the coolest things” when he came down as a plane passenger with his daughters last year was when the “Parrotheads” met them at the airport.

“We weren’t expected a welcoming committee, one of the women hugged my daughter and with tears in her eyes told us how much it meant to everyone.”

Franklin lives four miles from where the tornadoes hit. Last weekend he took his 12-year-old daughter to an affected area where they served 200 hamburgers and hot dogs to the hungry.

“To see the need in real life was eye opening,” said Franklin.  He hopes to get as many as 20 cyclists to join in the effort with one pulling a trailer to haul the toys.

Donation bins will be at the Gulf Air Center and Waterville.  Waterville will also be offering reduced admission fees on May 21 to everyone who brings a toy for the tornado victims.