The Candy Bomber Foundation

The Gail S. Halvorsen Aviation Education Foundation is a charitable educational organization which promotes STEM education using an aviation-themed environment and preserves the legacy of humanitarian service of "The Berlin Candy Bomber."

The future economy of Utah will continue to transition to one more focused on technology fields. According to the Kem Gardner Policy Institute the number of jobs in engineering and computer science has increased by over 120% in the past two decades, and similar increases should continue for the foreseeable future. Boeing forecasts a need for 435,000 new pilots and aerospace technicians over the next twenty years in the United States. While strong growth in STEM jobs continues, the number of students seeking education in these fields is remaining constant based on data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Coupled with these data is a trend towards moral relativism among the rising generation. Our mission is to inspire children towards the burgeoning STEM careers while providing a foundation of principles that are exemplified in the Berlin Candy Bomber- Gail Halvorsen. The trajectory of Gail's experiences in Berlin coupled with his later service as a rocket scientist in the US Air Force truly shows that with motivation, effort, and positive values one truly can go from a rural farm in Utah to reach into space- the sky is not the limit.

The Halvorsen Heritage Center will provide the platform for the Foundation’s STEM initiatives and will be one of the first educational enrichment facilities of its kind in the southern portion of Utah County. The purposes of this center are:

- Provide space to house STEM educational enrichment events for local schools and private youth groups

- Display memorabilia and artifacts which visually depict the Candy Bomber story to perpetuate the rich legacy of Gail S. Halvorsen’s remarkable career

- Provide meeting space for like-minded organizations that support the Foundation’s STEM education and humanitarian service missions

- Provide operating location for Civil Air Patrol in the central region of Utah

- Support emergency response capacity in area by providing an annex to the county emergency operations center, allowing expanded community participation in emergency or disaster response