Flying fun for a good cause
Fly-in, Ball Drop event is ready for takeoff in Humboldt
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HUMBOLDT -- The Humboldt Rotary Club has a long-running tradition that combines a fly-in with a ball drop fundraiser that brings together pilots, aviation enthusiasts, and community members for a morning of food, entertainment, and charitable giving.
It's called the Dave Dodgen Memorial Annual Rotary Fly-In and Ball Drop.
It's named after a Humboldt man who was a pilot, Rotary member and a member of the Humboldt Airport Commission. The fly-in had been a regular event for years, and after Dodgen died on March 24, 2025, it was named after him.
This year's event is set to begin at 7 a.m. Aug. 9 at the Humboldt Municipal Airport on Iowa Highway 3 on the west side of Humboldt.
"Our Rotary service club is happy to host this event each year so people and their families can come out and enjoy a great Sunday outdoor event, have a big delicious breakfast, watch airplanes and maybe even take an airplane ride," said Travis Sprague, one of the event organizers.
The Gronbach Grill Team will be serving pilots and guests a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and a drink. Breakfast is free for fly-in pilots, $10 for adults, and $8 for kids 12 and under.
The event also features airplane rides from 8 a.m. to noon (weather permitting) and a Rotary Ball Drop fundraiser with only 400 tickets available -- $20 each or six for $100. Proceeds support local community projects and Humboldt High School senior scholarships.
The ball drop will produce one $1,000 winner, one $500 winner and two $250 winners.
To buy ball drop tickets, contact a Rotary member.
Airplane rides cost $30 per person.
If You go
What: Dave Dodgen Memorial Annual Rotary Fly-In and Ball Drop
When: 7 a.m. to noon Aug. 9
Where: Humboldt Municipal Airport, Iowa Highway 3 on the west side of Humboldt