Wings of America

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Albuquerque, NM
Wings of America

Wings of America is an American Indian Youth Development Program of the Earth Circle Foundation, Inc.

About Wings

Mission Statement
The mission of Wings is to enhance the quality of life for American Indian youth. In partnership with Native communities, Wings uses running as a catalyst to empower American Indian and Alaskan Native youth to take pride in themselves and their cultural identity, leading to increased self esteem, health and wellness, leadership and hope, balance and harmony. Programs

Measurement
A Wings survey conducted in 2000, showed a 99% high school graduation rate, with 94% of our participants going on to college. Results of the survey indicated that overall, WOA participants are attaining a higher level of education, have lower incidences of arrests, less use of alcohol and illegal drugs, are having their first child a year or two later than average, and they are more physically active and maintaining healthier lives than their same-age peers in the larger American Indian and general populations. Our Programs
Wings reaches Indian children not only through grassroots programs in Indian communities in partnership with private sector including foundations, corporations and individual donors. After twenty-three years of youth development services, Wings has served over twenty three thousand young men and women. Included in Wings programming is the National Cross Country Championship program designed to elevate competitive all Native teams and individual runners. Since first participating the National Junior Cross Country Championships in 1988, the Wings-sponsored teams have earned over twenty national championship titles. Additionally, Wings provides speakers, clinicians and other assistance to wellness programs, conferences, athletic banquets, fairs, races, et al. Wings also distributes Spiked/Waffle running shoes to our Native youths and Track-in-the-Box units to Indian running clubs, walking and wellness programs. Our Staff
Executive Director:
Dustin Martin

Program Director:
Daan Haven

Contact Wings
Wings of America
13701 Skyline Rd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87123

phone: 505.982.6761

email: takeflight@wingsofamerica.org

05/20/2026

Free dinner + GATHER film screening + panel at Fusion Theatre Company in Albuquerque next Thursday, May 28, 2026 as part of the "Sanctuary Cinema" film series.

Gather is an intimate portrait of the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food sovereignty, while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide.

Gather follows Nephi Craig, a chef from the White Mountain Apache Nation (Arizona), opening an indigenous café as a nutritional recovery clinic; Elsie Dubray, a young scientist from the Cheyenne River Sioux Nation (South Dakota), conducting landmark studies on bison; and the Ancestral Guard, a group of environmental activists from the Yurok Nation (Northern California), trying to save the Klamath river.

The film also features Wings' CEO, Danielle Greendeer (before she joined the Wings team). It was directed by Wings Board Chair, Sanjay Rawal, and produced by another Wings Board Member, Adae Briones. Although the Wings summer staff will just be starting our summer Leadership Academy that evening, we encourage any of you in the Rio Grande Valley looking to feel fed (literally & spiritually) to check it out!

Dinner at 5:30pm, screening at 6:30pm, panel at 8:00pm. 700-708 1st St. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102

RSVP here: https://ticketbud.com/events/55788502-27b3-11f1-b291-42010a71700b

04/22/2026

Congratulations to Craig Curley (Diné) and Timberlin Henderson (Diné) for completing the on the historic 90th anniversary of Tarzan Brown's (Narragansett) first win (4/20/36)!

We are proud of these two former Wings National Team members who ran to honor the legacy of Native distance champions, as well as raise money for our summer Running & Fitness Camps. So far, Wings has confirmed over a dozen locations in Tribal communities across the SW for this June and July. In partnership with local schools, coaches and community centers, our facilitators will coordinate two days of FREE running-focused movement activities and teach participants about the proud legacy of Native runners. CONTRIBUTE HERE: https://go.levitate.ai/?s=45f3KfnNv7&source=donationSurvey

We are grateful to the greater Native running community for welcoming Craig and Timberlin at their celebrations and proud to see representation of Native runners and families steadily increasing in Boston and beyond. Huge thank yous to for welcoming and supporting our Wings ambassadors numerous times throughout the weekend! We are also thankful to Dr. Fleg of for delivering a batch of t-shirts to those attending the Native runners reception at the start line on the Sunday before the marathon. We look forward to working hand-in-hand with Tarzan Brown's family to market the commemorative t-shirt to raise funds and awareness for a statue of "Deerfoot" along the marathon course somewhere near "Heartbreak Hill". (Stay tuned)

Big shout out to all the former Wings runners that completed the marathon and/or contributed to the joy last weekend:

Finally, thanks to & for inviting Wings to be a part of the 80th anniversary of Tarzan's first win back in 2016. The celebration opened our eyes to the achievements of Tom Longboat (Boston winner 1907), Andrew Sockalexis (Boston runner-up 1912 & 1913), Tarzan Brown and (Boston runner-up '79,'80,'81).

04/06/2026

Good Afternoon!

NOW HIRING: Summer Running & Fitness Camp Facilitators!

Looking for a summer that actually means something?

Join Wings of America and travel across the Southwest leading camps, mentoring Native youth, and building community through running and wellness. 🏃🏽‍♀️🌎

This is more than a job—it’s leadership, growth, and giving back.

✨ Paid position ($15+/hr)
✨ Travel + team experience
✨ Make a real impact in Native communities

📅 Deadline to apply: May 10th

Don’t wait—spots are limited!

📲 Scan the QR code or click the link to apply: https://forms.gle/KUMXbVSZ3oC5qY6x5

03/20/2026

With one month until the 130th running of the Boston Marathon, we are proud to announce that Craig Curley (Diné) and Timberlin Henderson (Diné) will be representing Wings and fundraising to help the organization cover the cost of our '26 summer Running & Fitness Camp series. Both Craig and Timberlin are former Wings National Team members. Timberlin also served twice as a summer camp Facilitator.

Please make a contribution today in support of these two stellar Native role models and runners! We are thankful to the Boston Athletic Association for continuing their partnership with Wings and providing two spots for additional Native runners in one of the world's most-exclusive and exciting marathons.

https://go.levitate.ai/?s=45f3KfnNv7&source=donationSurvey

In case you are wondering, Wings is not sponsoring a cohort of Native high school juniors to attend this year's Boston Marathon as part of our Pursuit Program. After 7 trips to Boston with Pursuit students ('17-'19 & '22-'25), we are putting a pause on the program so that we may use our charity bibs to raise money for our long-running summer Youth programs AND to re-evaluate our strategy when it comes to college readiness/scholarship opportunities.

We are so grateful to the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP), Northeastern University Natives, MIT Natives, the North American Indian Center of Boston and SO MANY OTHERS that have hosted Pursuit Program students since 2017. Thank you for your continued support!

03/12/2026

RM Spring '26 Information!

03/04/2026

Tribute to Jeff Galloway: 7/12/45-2/25/26

Last week, we were saddened to learn of the passing of former Olympian and running guru, Jeff Galloway. The author of "Galloway's Book on Running" accepted an invitation to the 1998 Wings Coaches' Clinic in Santa Fe, NM, where the organization celebrated its ten-year anniversary. We are still grateful that such an influential and optimistic figure in the world of running showed up for Wings! He presented his ideas and writing to our summer Facilitators-in-training, as well as high school coaches from across Indian Country.

Although it is bittersweet to see Jeff in photos from our archives alongside other dearly departed such as Herman Agoyo, Sr. and Geoff Hollister, it is also motivating to know that Wings continues to advocate for Native youth runners with their same optimism and vigor. As we plan to offer Wings programs to more Tribal communities than ever before, we know Jeff's teachings of building endurance by alternating running and walking will continue to resonate and empower our participants. Thank you Jeff, for showing the entire world what a LIFETIME dedicated to running can offer.

02/03/2026

Want to help Wings coordinate free Running & Fitness Camps for Tribal youth this summer? Consider donating your unused- but mechanically sound- vehicle to the organization to help transport our summer camp Facilitators!

In 2025, Wings Facilitator vehicles covered over 30,000 miles in just eight weeks traveling to/from 17 camp locations across the southwest! In 2026, we plan to serve just as many communities. Please help us avoid the expense of renting minivans to transport our staff. In recent years, each Facilitator vehicle we've rented has cost the organization around $6,000!

If you have a reliable vehicle that safely seats 6+ passengers collecting dust in your driveway, donate it to Wings for a tax-deduction. Wings is happy to arrange for transport for the right vehicles to Albuquerque, NM before our summer programs begin in June. We thank you for your consideration and are especially looking for donations that meet the following criteria:

💺 Seats 6+ passengers with seat belts
🔢 Ideally, has 150K miles or less on the odometer
🌬️ Has working AC & Heat
🏜️ Loves "Rez Roads"

Contact Wings' CVO, Dustin Martin, at dustin@wingsofamerica.org with prospective donations and/or questions. Thanks for helping Wings get the wheels we need to this summer

01/14/2026

Reminiscing to those hot summer days with Wings! We hope everyone is having a great start to the new year—see you soon!

12/02/2025

Today's the day! It's , and we need the Wings family to show its love! If you can give, please do, and & .

The donation link is in our post below!

If you can't, it's okay, but PLEASE SHARE and make noise for your favorite non profit! The funds we raise today will help us grow our programs in 2026, and that means Native youth will have increased access to wellness, safe spaces, knowledge, confidence, friendship and joy!

This matters so much, especially today. Help us take advantage of a $50,000 matching donation opportunity!

Thank you to everyone who supports us - we love you right back!

Here is the link to Donate: https://www.wingsofamerica.org/contributions/

11/26/2025

🏁Announcing the 37th Wings National Team 📣

We are thrilled to announce the 14 young men and women that have accepted spots to represent Wings in the Gold Division race at the XC Championships in Huntsville, AL on December 6, 2025. As we finalize travel plans for this exceptional crew, we want to say a huge THANK YOU to all the talented young runners from across Indian Country that ran qualifying times at NXR regional races to be considered for selection to our team. All in all, 38 young women and 63 young men threw their name in the hat to be considered for the all-star squad that Wings has been helping since 1988. A list of the young ladies and gentlemen that were offered a spot on the team is posted below and lists of all qualifiers and their seed times can be found HERE:

Ladies: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18r9UB-oR71frBrsKKiwOLGmfegNCSFzi/view?usp=drive_link

Gentlemen: https://drive.google.com/file/d/114v-SM1gNGVCOyjIdP5WL5FKlTU_gbUu/view?usp=drive_link

It is important that we also recognize those that ran seed times fast enough to be offered a spot on the team but chose not to take advantage of the opportunity so they could run a different race, focus on another sport they excel in, or start a much-needed rest period after a long season. Even if it doesn't bring you into the Wings fold, we encourage all young runners to listen to their bodies and ambitions at all times.

We would also like to shout out for sending us enough singlets and pairs of Nike Pegasus 41's to be able to provide everyone that posted a seed time with a new Wings singlet and pair of trainers. If you posted a time to try-out for the team but weren't selected, be on the lookout for an email from our Program Coordinator, Esther Beck, with a survey that will gain you access to the perks mentioned above!

We cannot wait to make our way to Alabama next week to run the FAST loops at the John Hunt XC Park. Thanks to the RunningLane race directors and for welcoming the Wings squad into your race and even providing us a custom team kit to run with the best!

11/21/2025

📣 NATIONAL TEAM ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: ALI UPSHAW

As of right now, Wings is on the road with a group of young Native runners heading to Nike Cross Regionals in Mesa, AZ—where they’ll showcase their talent and compete against some of the best in the Southwest, all with the hope of earning a spot on the Wings National Team.

We’re honored to highlight words of wisdom from our very own Ali Upshaw—an incredible runner and an even more incredible human being on and off the racecourse. Ali hails from the Navajo Nation and currently attends Northern Arizona University (NAU), where she has continued to shine as a collegiate athlete. During her time at NAU, she contributed to one of the strongest women’s distance programs in the country, training and racing alongside nationally recognized athletes and helping elevate the team’s success at the conference and national level.

Ali has made a powerful name for herself in the running world, demonstrating what dedication, cultural pride, and hard work can do. Her resilience and humility show all of us—especially young Native runners—that our identities and communities are sources of strength, and that anything is possible when we commit to our ambitions.

We are extremely proud of Ali—of who she is, who she’s becoming, and the advocate she continues to be for our young people everywhere.

Tune in as we take you along our trip to NXR to cheer on our athletes! And if you are going to NXR Southwest, drive safe and see you there!

Address

13701 Skyline Road NE
Albuquerque, NM
87123

Telephone

+15059775057

Website

http://www.wingsofamerica.org/, https://forms.gle/U5Vo4LWHKPwDM9uZ8

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