OREANDA-NEWS. CIT Aerospace, a global leader in aircraft finance, with support from 25 participating companies, raised more than $130,000 to support Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s LifeFlight® program during the third annual CIT Aerospace Golf Invitational held at the Bear Lakes Country Club. LifeFlight® provides transport of critically ill children throughout South Florida, South and Central America, and the Caribbean.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to support the critical work being done by LifeFlight and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital,” said Jeff Knittel, President of CIT Transportation and International Finance. “Hosting this event for a third year, we are excited to deepen our relationships with these important organizations and raise the profile of their heroic efforts on behalf of children in South Florida and the Caribbean.”

Lucy Morillo, Esq., President and CEO of Miami Children's Health Foundation, the fundraising arm for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, said, “I offer our deepest thanks to those who participated in and made donations to the CIT Aerospace Golf Invitational. The children and families that benefit from the work of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital are very grateful for the support CIT and other donors have given to this life-saving program.”

Kenneth Patino, Director of Emergency and Trauma Services, LifeFlight® and Transfer Center, said, “CIT has demonstrated a deep and enduring commitment to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s LifeFlight program and to giving back to the South Florida community. Over the past three years of CIT Aerospace Golf Invitationals, CIT and other event sponsors have helped raise more than $328,000. Funds from previous years’ events have made essential contributions toward the purchase of an ambulance for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s LifeFlight fleet. This ambulance has already been involved in more than 225 life-saving missions. We thank CIT and the other benefactors for their multi-year relationship with our nationally recognized program. Their support has helped enable the delivery of urgent medical treatment to hundreds of children.”

In addition to CIT, the following companies have donated funds or gifts in kind to benefit LifeFlight®: Aero Engine Solutions, Aeronautical Support International, Airbus, Alaris, Atlas Air, Boeing, Bombardier, Brickell Motors, Cara Capital Corporation, Commercial Jet/AEI, Embraer, Fafinski Mark & Johnson (FMJ), GA Telesis, GE Aviation, INAV, Intertrade, Jack Nicklaus, Jet Aviation, Kellstrom Materials, Landing Gear Technologies, Magellan, Oliva, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Spectre Air Capital, Spirit Airlines, STS, TVPX and Werner Aero Services.

About LifeFlight®

LifeFlight® provides transport of critically ill children throughout South Florida and the Caribbean. The Nicklaus Children’s Hospital aircraft is the most sophisticated air ambulance available. The Sikorsky S76 C+ helicopter is capable of flying up to 300 miles without stopping to refuel and features the latest, most up-to-date flight instrumentation. As a mobile critical care unit, the medical configuration of the aircraft includes built-in oxygen and air, lighting controls, intravenous fluid holders and flight-team-to-hospital communications. LifeFlight™ carries the most advanced life-support equipment, compactly arranged to ensure the maximum utilization of space.

About Miami Children’s Health Foundation

Miami Children’s Health Foundation (MCH Foundation) is a not-for profit 501(c)(3) organization established to support the creation of a world-class pediatric hospital so no child needs to leave South Florida for superior medical care. “Funding World-Class Care” and following the principle that all children deserve state-of-the-art pediatric care, MCH Foundation, now a part of the Miami Children’s Health System, has helped the 289-bed Nicklaus Children’s Hospital become a leader in pediatric healthcare with more than 650 attending physicians and over 130 pediatric sub-specialists. Currently, MCH Foundation is dedicating all its resources to Together For The Children, The Campaign For Miami Children’s, which aims to raise $150 million by 2017 and help fund priorities such as the expansion of the Emergency Department, construction of a new Advanced Pediatric Care Pavilion, enhancements to its three centers of excellence and expanding global/telehealth endeavors. Other campaign priorities include research, pediatric outreach and special programs. 

About CIT Aerospace

As one of the world’s leading aircraft leasing organizations, CIT Aerospace provides leasing and financing packages, including operating leases and structuring and advisory services, for commercial airlines worldwide. CIT Aerospace owns, finances and manages a fleet of more than 350 commercial aircraft serving approximately 100 customers in 50 countries.