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Our History
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William E. Channing and friends founded the Earth Circle Foundation in 1987, a non-profit corporation based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Wings of America is the sole program of The Earth Circle Foundation.
Wings was established in 1988 with the goal of empowering the most "at risk" population in the United States–American Indian youth. Through youth development programs incorporating running, Wings has found a unique way to help Indian youth overcome their life challenges, and to nurture and maintain their proud heritage. Running has an integral place in the spiritual and ceremonial traditions of American Indian people.
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1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2007
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| 1987 |
The Earth Circle Foundation is incorporated as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization by William E. Channing and friends in response to environmental concerns of Indigenous Peoples in North America.
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| 1988 |
Wings of the Southwest is formed as a youth development project of The Earth Circle Foundation. Running becomes the catalyst for building self esteem and pride among American Indian youth.
Wings of the Southwest holds first selection race at Second Mesa on the Hopi reservation in Arizona. Fourteen runners and two coaches go to TAC/USA Cross Country Championships in Raleigh, NC. Both the boys' and girls' teams win.
Polo Ralph Lauren and Reebok sign on as national sponsors and provide sweat suits and shoes.
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| 1989 |
Wings of the Northeast is formed at Penobscot Indian Health Center in Old Town, ME. Twenty-seven runners attend TAC/USA Cross Country Championships in San Francisco.
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| 1990 |
Wings of the Southern Plains is formed and holds its first selection race through the Jacobson Foundation in Norman, Oklahoma. Forty-eight Wings runners and coaches attend TAC/USA Cross Country Championships in New York City. ABC evening news does a special on the Wings teams.
Nike, Inc., signs on as national sponsor, providing shoes.
Wings of the Southwest holds first annual Wind Messenger Relay and Santa Fe Plaza Children's race in New Mexico to draw attention to Indian running on a regional level.
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| 1991 |
Wings of the Northern Plains is formed and holds first selection race in Rapid City, SD. Little Wings of the Northern Plains is also started, with an emphasis on runners between the ages of 9 and 13, who also do traditional powwow style dancing.
Wings of the Great Lakes is formed and holds its first selection race in Oneida, WI.
Ninety runners and coaches attend TAC/USA Cross Country Championships in Boston, MA.
Wings receives funding from The Educational Foundation of America to publish The Wind Messenger Newsletter and a grant from the Crosby Fund of the Winston-Salem Foundation.
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| 1992 |
The Earth Circle Foundation hires first staff person, Margie Kamine.
Maurice "Mo" Smith (Navajo) serves as Outreach and Program Director from 1992 to 1995.
Wings of the Southwest co-sponsors Gathering of Nations 8K Run in Albuquerque.
Wings publishes first Wind Messenger Newsletter and receives grants from the McCune Charitable Foundation and Running Strong for American Indian Youth.
Transworld Sports of Great Britain TV does a story on Native American running featuring Maurice Smith and Wings.
Ninety runners and coaches attend TAC/USA Cross Country Championships in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
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| 1993 |
The Earth Circle Foundation forms new Board of Directors and dedicates mission to support of Wings.
Wings sends two runners to the North American Indigenous Games in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada.
James Taylor performs a sold-out benefit concert for Wings in Santa Fe.
Wings hires NCAA, II national champion, Phillip Castillo (Acoma Pueblo) as summer outreach coordinator. PBS' nationally broadcast teen program "In The Mix" does a 6-minute feature on Castillo and running.
Wings receives major grants from Running Strong for American Indian Youth, Full Moon Foundation, Long John Silver, The Allequash Foundation, Taco Bell, and McCune Foundation.
Navajo artist, Tony Abeyta, donates an original painting of a powerful Indian runner in support of Wings.
Wings takes 80 runners and coaches to the USA Track and Field National Cross Country Championship in Missoula, MT. Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren and Running Strong are sponsors.
CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt runs an eight-minute feature on Wings runners at the Zuni Selection Race and the Cross Country National Championships in Missoula, MT.
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| 1994 |
Wings presents 20 Mini Running Camps for children between the ages of 6 and 14. Over 1300 children participate in camps held in seven states. NIKE provides T-shirts for all participants.
Wings takes 65 runners and 20 support staff representing more than 25 Indian nations (including the newly formed Wings of the Northwest) to Portland, OR, for the USA T&F National Cross Country Championships.
A Wings team runs at the Footlocker Western Regional National Cross Country Championships, where one Wings runner makes it to nationals.
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| 1995 |
Phillip Castillo, former Wings runner, receives the 1995 National Student-Athlete Day Giant Steps Award, sponsored by National Consortium for Academics and Sports.
Master runner, educator and environmentalist Manny Pino (Acoma Pueblo) serves as Program Director in 1995 and 1996.
Article on Wings Mini Running Camps appears in June issue of Runner's World.
Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra perform a benefit concert for Wings and CCNS.
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| 1996 |
Wings Runners Phillip Castillo and Valencia Tilden (Navajo) carry the Olympic Torch for the 1996 Relay.
SGMA (Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association) provides funding for Leadership and Life Skills Camp for Wings runners.
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| 1997 |
Nike adds a cash grant in support of Wings programs.
KOIN-TV does a special on Wings at the USA National Cross Country Championships in Portland.
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| 1998 |
The First Annual "American Indian Running Clinic" co-sponsored by NIKE, Inc. is presented to cross country coaches and others working with running programs for American Indian youth.
Wings begins a multi-year Running and Fitness Camp program on the Navajo Nation as part of "Just Move It" with Wings runners serving as clinicians, assistants and positive role models.
Alice Kinlichee (Navajo), volunteer Wings coach and camp coordinator, receives the New Mexico Governor's Woman of the Year Award for her volunteer service.
USA Track & Field permanently moves the National Cross Country Championships to February. Wings begins annual sponsorship of high school runners to Foot Locker Regional Races held in November and December.
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| 1999 |
Wings receives a major two-year grant from Messengers of Healing Winds Foundation for re-organization. Anne Wheelock Gonzales (Oneida) becomes Executive Director.
Wings donor John Nicksic supplies complete set of uniforms and shoes for El Malpais Track Club for the youth of the Ramah Navajo Reservation.
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| 2000 |
Pam White (Navajo), Wings alumnus and summer project coordinator, wins the Courageous Student Athlete award from the National Consortium on Academics and Sports.
Phillip Castillo and Theo Martin (Navajo), Wings alumni, qualify for the Olympic Trials in the marathon. Becki Wells (Blackfeet), Wings facilitator, qualifies for the Olympic Trials in the 800 and 1500 meter races.
Fox Sports produces an eleven-minute piece on Wings which airs nationally on "Goin' Deep".
Wings first Program Participant Survey shows positive results for Wings alumni.
Edison Eskeets, Navajo educator, artist and runner, becomes Executive Director. Anne Wheelock Gonzales becomes Associate Director.
Wings of America receives the Doris Heritage award from the USA Track and Field association for contributions to women's cross country running.
Wings regional structure is dissolved. All programs are coordinated out of the Santa Fe office.
Donors Carl and Wahleah Davis begin providing annual support for the Wings teams to travel to the USA National Cross Country Championships.
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| 2001 |
Nike donates 5000 pairs of running shoes to Wings for distribution in Indian country, resulting in the creation of the Product Distribution Program.
Donor Adelaide Hixon provides multi-year funding in support Edison Eskeets, Executive Director.
Wings runner Angelo Baca (Navajo) is featured on the August Runner's World "Motivation" page.
Edison Eskeets dedicates a 112-mile run to Wings as he completes a series of runs to the four sacred mountains of the Navajo.
Ambrose Monell Foundation joins Wings as a major, renewable donor.
General Mills invites Wings runners and staff to Pennsylvania to help unveil the Wheaties box featuring legendary Sac and Fox athlete, Jim Thorpe. The Wings group also tours the historic Carlisle Indian School.
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| 2002 |
Wings runner, Devan Lomayaoma (Hopi-Tewa), and Wings Associate Director, Anne Wheelock Gonzales, carry the Olympic Torch in Arches National Park, UT, as the Relay begins its final leg before the Winter Olympics.
Wings volunteer coach and Running and Fitness Camp coordinator, Alice Kinlichee, is chosen as a Sports Ethics Fellow by the Institute for International Sport.
Wings alumnus Lisa (Abramson) Kerfoot (Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa) is hired as Wings summer intern under the Nike grant.
Native American Prep School donates two used 15-passenger vans to the Wings program.
Lioness Women's Apparel donates athletic wear for the Product Distribution Program.
Networking with contacts made through Wings programs, Sequoyah High School in Tahlequah, OK, is able to re-surface their track after receiving a $50,000 Bowerman Track Renovation grant from Nike.
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| 2003 |
Wings is awarded a $15,000 grant from the Indian Behavioral Health Council in support of youth development programs in New Mexico.
6th Annual American Indian Running Coaches Clinic features the pioneers in women's distance running: Doris Brown Heritage, Mary Decker Slaney and Joan Benoit Samuelson.
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| 2004 |
Kelly Concho, Wings Alumni, is hired as Program Director.
Wings alumnus, Forrest Tahdooahnippah (Comanche), now running for Stanford, finishes fourth in the junior race at USA Nationals and competes at the World Cross Country Championships in Brussels, Belgium the following month.
Three Wings runners win a trip to the 2004 Olympics in Greece in a contest sponsored by Wings funder Justice for Athletes.
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| 2007 |
Wings Alumnus Brandon Leslie and Alvina Begay qualify for the Olympic Trials in the marathon.
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