Congratulations to Robert V. “Bob” Lewis who is this year’s recipient of the International Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame Trustees’ Award!
The Trustees’ Award is given at the discretion of the Board of Trustees to thank special friends of the museum for voluntarily contributing services or making other gestures of goodwill to the skydiving museum in furtherance of its principles and objectives. Lewis will receive the award during the museum’s Skydiving Hall of Fame Celebration, October 8 – 10, 2020, at Skydive DeLand, DeLand, Florida.
From 2010-2016, Lewis was instrumental in the creation and roll out of the audio visual presentations for the museum’s Hall of Fame Banquets and Induction Ceremonies. He first worked with Howard White, then subsequently Phil Chiocchio. In 2017, he and Chiocchio worked together on a Tiny Broadwick presentation which he presented at the event including one year presenting from a hospital bed with the on-site assistance of Chiocchio. He was also instrumental in securing a commitment for Broadwick’s equipment and memorabilia for the museum once it is built.
Subsequent to 2017, Bob contributed to the museum and the sport of skydiving through his photography, research and writings, many of which appear on social media under the museum’s banner. He is always upbeat and very dedicated to the sport’s history. By utilizing social media on behalf of the museum, Bob acknowledges birthdays of well-known and respected skydiving personalities like D-1 Lew Sanborn thus maintaining awareness and visibility for the museum. As a historical writer, he brings great value to the museum through his various research and writing projects including Ladies of Skydiving. Lewis and Chiocchio have discussed collaborating on a future project to make videos from his research which could be incorporated into the museum’s galleries after premiering in the in-house theater.
Lewis is a museum ambassador helping to increase awareness of the museum and providing vital and significant support. He also serves as an advisor on the museum’s Accessions & Curations committee. He spends his time away from museum activities on electronic design and engineering.
Bob Lewis is not one of those people who just expects someone else to “do it” but rather sees a need and jumps right in. He has a true love of the sport and the people in it. For these reasons as well as his undying support of the museum’s mission, the museum is pleased to announce Robert V. “Bob” Lewis as the 2020 Trustees Award recipient.
More than 400 skydiving enthusiasts from around the world will be in attendance at the fundraiser which is expected to raise more than $100,000 for the museum. Registration information and a full schedule of events will be available in the museum’s Spring/Summer newsletter and on the museum's website in June.