[/av_textblock] [av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” custom_class=” admin_preview_bg=”] September 9, 2009
By Matt Coker in A Clockwork Orange, Main
Glenn and Wendy Stearns admire Challenger’s Wingspan as handler Al Cecere holds the non-releasable bald eagle. Photo by Joel Echman Maus
Challenger, the non-releasable American bald eagle, made his scheduled arrival at John Wayne Airport.
Held by his handler Al Cecere, who is president of the American Eagle Foundation, ‘Challenger’ made the trip to Orange County from his home at Dollywood in Tennessee where he later performed at the Life Changing Lives charity fundraiser gala Thursday at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point.
It is there that Challenger, who appears at numerous sporting and charity events and is believed to be the only eagle that has ever been trained to perform, flew off Cecere’s arm and over the audience and onto the arm of before emcee Roy Firestone who announced that, “The eagle has landed.”
Astronaut Charlie Duke was honored at the event along with Sugar Ray Leonard and Tibor Rubin. The charity was co-founded by Glenn and Mindy Stearns (who used to do pitch in entertainment reports on the KTLA Morning News). Both were on hand to greet Cecere and Challenger at John Wayne Airport. Their event, which has raised nearly $1 million for local charities, is this year scheduled to support the Wounded Warrior Project, Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Boys and Girls Club.
Photos from the event
(L-R) AEF Founder/President Al Cecere introduces the Bald Eagle Challenger to actress Jenifer Lewis. Former world champion boxer Sugar Ray Leonard poses for photo with AEF Founder/President Al Cecere and Bald Eagle Challenger.
AEF Founder/President Al Cecere introduces
the Bald Eagle “Challenger” to U.S. astronaut Charlie Duke