Spike Out Cancer: A Night of Strength, Support, and Pink Overalls

Written By Beth White

In September, Habitat for Aviation proudly cheered on Abby Demar and her team at the Spike Out Cancer volleyball event at BFA St. Albans. Granny, Beth, and Taylor showed up in our signature pink overalls, ready to support both the team and the cause. The night was about more than just volleyball—it was about raising awareness for breast cancer, a cause especially meaningful to Beth, who is celebrating her third year post-treatment.

Abby’s heartfelt dedication of her event t-shirt to Beth made the night even more special. As the team played their hearts out and claimed victory, the stands were filled with energy, support, and a powerful message of resilience. The St. Albans Messenger captured the moment, featuring us in the paper, and even the mayor joined in the celebration. It was an inspiring evening, proving once again that when a community comes together, we can uplift each other in ways that truly matter.

Beth White

Education Possibilitarian, Artist, Writer, Doula, Mentor, Aviatrix, Breast Cancer Survivor, Pilot-in-Command at Habitat for Aviation


In the spring of 2022, Beth White emerged from a 10-month battle with breast cancer with an idea: to create an apprenticeship program at Franklin County State Airport where youth work alongside adult mentors servicing conventional and electric aircraft. A pilot and airplane mechanic apprentice herself, and with family roots in the trades, Habitat for Aviation provides an taxilane for world learning opportunities for youth and adults who love to work with their hands to enter the FAA’s apprenticeship certification track. Each day she puts systems in place that make real John Dewey’s philosophy that we “learn best what we live” – a deep throughline from her time at Antioch University New England and as Regional Director for Big Picture Learning. Each learning experience is grounded in relationships, relevance, and practice. In October, 2023, Habitat for Aviation launched its Women Build Planes program, where an all-female team of Modern Day Rosies is building an airplane at Franklin County Airport, in northwestern Vermont, to show folks everywhere that despite the fact that only 2.6% of airplane mechanics are female, women BUILD, FLY, and FIX airplanes.

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