FLIGHT OF AMERICA

2001 - Republican American - Alexis Luke

TORRINGTON - Two brothers planning an historical flight around the country have found a new reason for their trip - to bring a little hope to a Torrington family. For a little more than a year, Ralph Capuano, president of Capuano Buick Cadillac, and his brother, William, have been planning a flight that has never been recorded in historical references (like the Guinness Book of World Records). They want to land in all 48 contiguous states in seven days.

Until March, making the record books and raising a little money for a charity were motivation enough. Then, they heard about Darlene Clarke. Clarke, 25, went to the dentist on March 3 with a strange sensation of loose teeth. The dentist was baffled; nothing was wrong with her teeth.

Clarke, a mother of two, went to see a doctor and, three days later, she was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. She immediately began chemotherapy at Hartford Hospital and has since been through several bone marrow and blood transplants, spending much of her time in the hospital. Clarke's father, Gary Jones, is the sales manager at Capuano Buick Cadillac. When Ralph Capuano heard of Clarke's plight, he and his brother decided to change their purpose.

The brothers, both experienced pilots, will sell maps for $48 showing their flight path and landing spots. And, they'll donate the proceeds to Clarke, who is unable to work and whose husband recently lost his job. The $8,000 to $9,000 cost of the flight will be paid by the Capuanos. Clarke's bills total more than $75,000 now. "She does have some insurance," her father said. "It's never going to cover it all, though."

Ralph Capuano just wants to make things easier for Clarke, especially while she is in and out of the hospital. He hopes that having fewer bills to worry about will take a weight off of her shoulders. "She's having a very difficult time right now," he said. The maps are available at Capuano Buick Cadillac, 790 Main St. Checks also can be mailed to "Leukemia Fund Darlene Clarke" and sent to Capuano. He'll send you a map in return.  "We're selling the maps at $48, one dollar for each state," Ralph Capuano said. "We're hoping to sell at least 1,000 maps. Then we'll be able to give Darlene $48,000 to cover some of her bills."

The brothers plan to embark on their journey early next month. "If we wait until the summer, most of the Plains states have mid-afternoon thunderstorms," Capuano said. "We have to wait for a window of about a week of good weather." Jones is grateful to both men.

"How can I be anything but happy about it?" he said. "Ralph has a passion for what he's doing. This is for a good cause."