Pilot Elevates Kayla’s Message

In an emotional meeting, Kathleen Delany connected with Marsha and Carl Mueller after unknowingly purchasing their daughter’s backpack. Delany attached Kayla’s picture to the pack and shared her story of compassion with hikers, which served as an inspiration during the eight days on the mountain. Photo by Ray Newton

By Ray Newton, FBN

When Kathleen Delany went online to buy a used backpack for her upcoming trip to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, she had no idea it would become a life-changing event.

Delaney is an Arizona State University graduate and commercial airline pilot stationed in California. She moved to Prescott Valley in March 2021 after being put on leave because of COVID-19, and in the aftermath of a traumatic breakup with her boyfriend. The Phoenix native previously had bought a home there for her retired parents. She had no idea she would be living with them nine months later.

Delany, 53, explained, “After my breakup, I knew it was time for me to collect my thoughts and dedicate myself to a new future. I had dreamed of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for more than 10 years. In 2010, I had visited Tanzania with a friend to celebrate my 42nd birthday. I’ve been an avid hiker since childhood. I have for years hiked the tallest mountains around me in Colorado and the Sierras.”

Delany decided she needed a medium-sized backpack. She looked online and found one she liked. She contacted the people who listed it, Carl and Marsha Mueller, who live in Prescott. She met them June 11, to examine the backpack.

She checked it, liked it, and bought it for $45. The Muellers told her it belonged to their daughter, Kayla, but said nothing else.

Delany had never heard of Kayla. Later, she would learn Kayla’s tragic story of having been captured in 2013 in Syria, held captive for more than 500 days and then murdered by ISIS terrorists in Raqqa in 2015.

Delany used the backpack for a few training hikes. One afternoon, while preparing the backpack for the Kilimanjaro trek she had scheduled for July, she reached into a pocket and felt something.

“I pulled out a worn but readable 2009 airline ticket receipt for Kayla Mueller from Phoenix to Atlanta and then Guatemala. My mom told me that name was familiar. I Googled it. When I saw who it was, I got chills. The hair on my arms was sticking up. The range of my emotions – intense. It hit me. I was meant to have this pack. I had a connection to this young woman who traveled the world making a positive difference in people’s lives, helping others, helping relieve suffering. What an incredible young woman Kayla was,” Delany said, wiping tears from her eyes.

Delany called the Muellers again. “I told them I wanted to dedicate the hike in Kayla’s name. We all wept. I asked if I could have something small and lightweight to take with me. I told them I truly felt I was supposed to take their daughter with me to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.”

A few days later, Delany met with the Muellers. They gave her a laminated photo of Kayla, on the back of which was written:

Delany attached that photo and message to the rear of the backpack. The next day, she left for Africa. On July 3, she was in Moshi, Tanzania, near the equator. She was preparing for the hike, which was to begin the next day. The hotel manager asked who the photograph was. Delany told her the story and how she was dedicating the hike in Kayla’s honor. “Teddy gave me a large linen napkin. We used

By Bonnie Stevens, FBN

Despite the difficulties of promoting Flagstaff during the pandemic to potential visitors and businesses looking to relocate, Discover Flagstaff officials and economic vitality leaders had many successes to report during their Annual Marketing Meeting on Thursday, Oct. 21.

City of Flagstaff Economic Vitality Director Heidi Hansen stressed the fact that during the pandemic the Flagstaff Airport never shut down. “This was no easy task. There were several other smaller airports that lost service. We did not. This is because we continued to market the airport that we were open for business. Even though we experienced enplanement decreases, we still served over 86,000 patrons. We kept our Phoenix, Denver and Dallas flights. Sometimes the daily amount fluctuated, but we filled seats and we didn’t lose service.”

She reported that attracting airline service and keeping it are no small accomplishments and said, “I see a San Francisco route on the horizon.”

She also provided an update about several new pieces of snow equipment that will be able to clear the runway faster than ever and additional airport parking with a gated paid-parking program and moderate pricing. “If you’ve been to the airport recently, you can see we have a second parking lot that is going in and will be completed very soon. There will still be free time – up to an hour – where you can enter and exit, but you have options for parking.”

Hansen also noted four business incentive programs that took effect in the past year along with the addition of the Tesla part manufacturer, Whitehall Industries, to the Flagstaff family, which is bringing 150 new manufacturing jobs to the community.

Discover Flagstaff Director Trace Ward praised the local tourism team for keeping the Flagstaff brand “alive, relative and engaging.” As a result, the Discover Flagstaff website received 2.1 million page views in the last 12 months and was the runner up for the Best Tourism Website award at the national ESTO Conference, U.S. Travel Association’s Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations.

In addition, Discover Flagstaff promoted fire awareness in collaboration with the Forest Service, Flagstaff Fire Department and the Arizona Office of Tourism. “We also promoted ‘Hug a Tree’ for folks and kids who get lost in the forest, flood safety, community action, COVID awareness and support for our local businesses and many other efforts such as ‘Acts of Kindness,’ which just tries to put a smile on your face,” he said.

Ward discussed the “Pledge for the Wild” program, which informs residents and visitors about how to give back to the trail they just hiked and emphasized the importance of promoting the community’s values, which he identified as: Community, Diversity, Inclusion, Dark Skies, Open Spaces, Local Economy, History and Sustainability.

“You have to embrace the community that welcomes your visitors,” he said.

The City of Flagstaff maintained an ambitious marketing effort throughout the pandemic, which included public health messages that encouraged residents and visitors to stay, play, distance and mask responsibly. Shown here are Flagstaff City Councilmembers Austin Aslan and Regina Salas, Economic Vitality Director Heidi Hansen and Discover Flagstaff Director Trace Ward. Courtesy photo