"Friendship and Service
since 1935"

The Pilot Club of Tallahassee is a part of Pilot International, a worldwide service organization founded in 1921. The Tallahassee club was chartered in 1935 and is still going strong.

The Pilot Club of Tallahassee spearheads efforts in the arenas of brain disorders, not limited to but including Alzheimer's disease...more

Steering a True Course: THE PILOT CLUB OF TALLAHASSEE

Tallahassee Woman Magazine, June/July 2011, page 37

"The mind is a terrible thing to waste."---Forest Lang

This philosophy has been preached for years and is a belief held by Tallahassee' brain health enthusiasts, the Pilot Club. For 75 years, the Pilot Club has been spreading the brain-healthy knowledge about the risks we may face with our bodies' number one powerhouse, and they have two awards to show, including the Community Heroes award from the Alzheimer's Project. While it has been making quite a name for itself for almost a century in Tallahassee, the Pilot Club is only one branch of the worldwide service organization known as Pilot International: "building friendship and service since 1935". The mission of Pilot International is to improve the quality of life in communities throughout the world. Tallahassee's Pilot Club is just one terrific example of their success.

The President of the Pilot Club, Claire Mikko, has been working hard to maintain the stamina and reputation that this group has created, as well as the bond that results from a common desire to help others. As a welcome to newcomers, Claire says, "Come for the service but stay for the friendship."

Through the group's constant efforts to educate society in the areas of brain disorders, they have managed to raise awareness within schools and communities as well as help aid and fund research for these struggles. Their projects and effective efforts have stood out amongst the Tallahassee community, and they have certainly made a name for themselves.

Perhaps you have heard of some of their projects around town. From the LaVerne Weddle Scholarship House to the Forget-Me-Not Walk and Fall Festival, their weekly events are educational and exciting enough to fill anyone's calendar. Perhaps two of their most famous projects are Project Lifesaver and BrainMinders, which won the award for best in the state. This partnership of events is changing the way brain disorders are viewed, with efforts from not only the Pilot Club, but from our community as well.

Project Lifesaver provides technology for participants that track possible Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's is one of the many brain disorders with which the Pilot Club is involved. This piece of technology is a simple bracelet that emits a radio tracking signal every second, programmed to detect any signs of this disease. Partnered with Project Lifesaver is BrainMinders. This is a public service campaign designed to promote brain awareness by using safety tips for children. It's difficult at times to connect with children to ensure they truly grasp an understanding of safety, but the Pilot Club covers all necessary topics through a fun and energetic learning system that children really enjoy.

The Pilot Club is always looking for new members to become a part of the group. For more information, visit their website at Tallahasseepilot.org or email them directly at membership@tallahasseepilot.org.

THE PILOT CLUB OF TALLAHASSEE
"COMMUNITY HEROES OF THE YEAR"

On March 19th, 2011, at the FSU Doak Campbell Stadium University Club, The Alzheimer's Project, Inc. (APT) named the Pilot Club of Tallahassee the 2011 Community Heroes of the Year. Our club was selected by the APT Board because of our involvement in the community and our commitment to brain safety.

Some of the reasons we were selected for this award are:

- In 2004, the Pilot Club of Tallahassee provided the start-up funds to bring Project Lifesaver, Inc. to our city. To ensure success of this program, we have partnered with The Alzheimer's Project, Inc. and the Leon County Sheriff's Department. Project Lifesaver helps provide rapid response to save lives and reduce potential for serious injury for adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer's, autism, Down syndrome, dementia and other related cognitive conditions. Clients enrolled in Project Lifesaver wear a small personal transmitter around the wrist or ankle that emits an individualized tracking signal. If an enrolled client goes missing, the caregiver notifies the Leon County Sheriff's Department and a trained emergency team responds to the wanderer's area. Most who wander are found within a few miles from home, and search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes.

- In 1985, our club members started the Annual Alzheimer's Disease Education and Training Conference. The Conference was started when a club member's father developed Alzheimer's Disease and she could not find anyone in the local area to provide information and/or assistance. Because she couldn't find anyone in the Tallahassee Area to help with her father's care, she sought out doctors and obtained information about the disease. From there, our club took this on as one of our major projects. The Conference is held for caregivers and professionals to provide the current information on Alzheimer's research, legal issues, personal care tips and other important information about Alzheimer's Disease. - We also partner with The Alzheimer's Project, Inc. at the Annual Forget-me-not Walk, which is a fundraiser.

- Our club members also volunteer to help The Alzheimer's Project, Inc. at their annual Caregivers Forum, support and attend the annual "Leading The Way" Gala, and serve as members of the various committees for their events.
Submitted by Claire Mikko.

Pilot Club of Tallahassee partners with The Alzheimer's Project, Inc.
for
26th Annual Alzheimer's Disease Education and Training Conference

On February 19th, 2011, the Pilot Club of Tallahassee partnered with The Alzheimer's Project, Inc. at the 26th Annual Alzheimer's Disease Education and Training Conference, held at Florida State University's Collect of Medicine. The Conference was started in 1985 when a club member's father developed Alzheimer's Disease and she could not find anyone in the local area to provide information and/or assistance. Because she couldn't find anyone in the Tallahassee area to help with her father's care, she sought out doctors and obtained information about the disease. From there, our club took this on as one of our major projects. The Conference is held for caregivers and professionals to provide the current information on Alzheimer's research, legal issues, personal care tips and other important information about Alzheimer's Disease. This year there were over 200 caregiver, professionals, sponsors, speakers and volunteers at the Conference. There were seven Pilot Club members and seven LaVerne Weddle Scholarship House residents working together at the event to provide a continental breakfast and inform the attendees about our club and what we do.
Submitted by Claire Mikko.

Pilot Club Sponsors Patriotism Writing Contest:

Fourth-graders write about Patriotism

November 9, 2010- by Caryn Wilson, Local Section, Tallahassee Democrat. Fourth-graders at Roberts Elementary learned the importance of Veterans Day by writing for the first annual Patriotism Essay Contest hosted by the area of Pilot Club. Claire Mikko, Pilot Club of Tallahassee president, said the students were excited about the assignment from the beginning. "We came by for the kickoff Oct. 8 and the American Legion donated flags for the kids-they were ecstatic," she said. "The topic of the essay was 'Who are Veterans and what did they do for our country?'" The Pilot Club of Tallahassee is affiliated with Pilot Club International, a service organization with a mission to improve the quality of life in communities throughout the world. Charlotte Edenfield was part of the selection committee and said there were close to 100 essays submitted. "They were all really neat to read. Some students even interviewed family and friends that were veterans," Edenfield said. She said the top three were judged on whether their essay adhered to the theme, and the quality of the content, grammar and punctuation. Edenfield said it was hard to choose winners among the many good essays. The fourth-grade classes gathered in the school's media center Monday and the top three essay winners were announced after a human drumroll. The winners, Patricia Waltz, Tommy Le, and Victoria Schaffer, each won a medal, a certificate and a monetary prize for their work. Fourth-grade writing teacher Christine Welke said this was a great experience for the students. "It gave them a reason to go home and discuss the topic with family members and the students gained a lot of knowledge about veterans in their own families," she said. Welke said the winner, Patricia, "Always goes above and beyond." Nine-year-old Patricia said she wasn't sure she was going to win. "At first I didn't know anything about veterans. It was difficult finding all the information," Patricia said. "My grandfathers were both in the Army, and I learned a lot from them."

Tallahassee's Lillian Cox on ABC

April 1, 2008: Tallahassee's most stylish centenarian, Lillian Cox, will be featured on tonight's Barbara Walters special on longevity.

Mrs. Cox is an Emeritus member of the Pilot Club of Tallahassee-Lillian, hats off!

To view the special (Live to 150, Can You Do It? Secrets to Living Longer With Barbara Walters ), visit:

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4546270