WATERTOWN, S.D. (KXLG) – South Dakota will soon have a new Pilots For Christ chapter when the group officially gets up and running this weekend during a commissioning ceremony at the Clark, South Dakota airport. Organizer Pastor Mark Tracy says that Pilots For Christ is a membership organization that posts public requests for consideration by member pilots and non-pilots who volunteer their flight and ground transportation for individuals who have an urgent need to travel. He says the organization is international, but that no chapter existed in South Dakota until now.

He says the commissioning is taking place during the Clark, South Dakota Potato Days celebration Saturday afternoon at 1:30.

Just last month Pilots For Christ was called on to help a South Dakota girl. Tracy said the North Dakota chapter responded.

He said the South Dakota chapter will be located all over the state and headquartered in Clark where all of the medical requests will come in. A flight coordinator will direct the request online to pilots and ground transportation volunteers.

To access the website or request a mission go to pilots for Christ dash SD dot org. He did caution the public they’re not a care flight. They currently have ten pilots signed up across the state and are looking for more, especially in central and western South Dakota. Pastor Tracy serves five Methodist churches in Northeastern South Dakota.