Corporate Angel Network Returns to NBAA-BACE 2026 with 'Fund an Angel' Fundraiser on Oct. 21
Why It MattersThe event shows how business aviation's charitable flight model depends on continuous seat-donation and fundraising cycles to sustain patient transport volumes year over year.
What happened
Corporate Angel Network (CAN) will host its annual 'Fund an Angel' fundraiser during the 2026 NBAA-BACE convention on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on the Waterbleau Terrace. Christopher Hanke will return as the event's host.
The fundraiser supports CAN's mission of providing free business aircraft flights to cancer patients seeking treatment. Last year's event raised over $500,000 through sponsorships, individual donations and a silent auction, with items including flight simulator demo sessions, aircraft models, signed artwork, vacation packages, airline miles, Giants football tickets and Dierks Bentley signed guitars.
CAN is seeking silent auction donations of unique items or experiences for the 2026 event, and volunteers who commit one hour of their time will receive a complimentary event ticket. The organization expects to complete approximately 2,300 flights this year, matching cancer patients with available seats aboard business jets traveling to or from treatment. Since its founding in 1981, CAN has arranged more than 70,000 flights for cancer patients. NBAA-BACE takes place Oct. 20-22 in Las Vegas.
Industry impact & what to watch
CAN's presence at NBAA-BACE fits into a broader pattern of the convention hosting philanthropic and community programs alongside its commercial exhibits, giving charitable flight coordinators visibility among operators and manufacturers who can donate seats or aircraft time. The model itself relies on matching empty or available seats on business jets already flying a given route with patients who need transport to treatment, meaning capacity depends on operator participation rather than dedicated charter purchases.
The fundraiser's role is to keep that matching system funded and staffed, since sponsorships, donations and auction proceeds cover coordination costs rather than aircraft costs themselves. Whether the 2026 event approaches or exceeds last year's total will indicate how much appetite sponsors and donors retain for this kind of program as the convention's broader attendance and exhibitor mix are finalized closer to Oct. 20-22.
