MOSES LAKE - Boeing officials announced a $50,000 gift to Big Bend Community College's Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) and Commercial Pilot programs Dec. 1 as part of the company's Giving Tuesday initiative.

Giving Tuesday is marked around the world each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The movement was created to promote charitable acts of giving.

Statewide, Boeing gave $10 million in charitable grants to 95 nonprofit organizations on Giving Tuesday. The grants focus specifically on education and workforce development, military and veterans, the environment, and racial equity.

"2020 has been nothing short of extraordinary as people in Washington and around the world navigate the historic impacts of COVID-19. Yet even as the aerospace industry faces unprecedented challenges presented by the pandemic, Boeing and its employees continue to rise to the challenge of helping people in need in our local communities," said Boeing spokesperson Deborah Feldman in a company news release.

Locally, the funds will be used by both Big Bend aviation programs to purchase equipment and support student scholarships.

Boeing is currently the largest private employer in Washington and has had a presence in the state for more than 100 years. The company has also conducted flight training and testing in Moses Lake for many years.

Boeing has supported the college's aviation programs through donations in the past, including a $100,000 gift last fall.

"Big Bend Community College is extremely grateful to be a beneficiary of Boeing's generosity," said BBCC president Dr. Sara Thompson Tweedy. "This donation will directly support the students in our Aviation Maintenance Technology and Commercial Pilot programs. Thank you, Boeing, for helping Big Bend's aviators and mechanics fly!"