U.S Rep. Mike Kelly, left, and Thomas Kim Jr. of Virginia unloaded boxes of personal protective equipment that Kim delivered to the Butler Memorial Hospital via flight.

A teenager from Virginia is spending his summer vacation delivering protective equipment to rural hospitals around the country, and on Saturday he touched down in Butler County.

Thomas Kim Jr., 16, is a sophomore at Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland. He said after his school was canceled this spring over coronavirus concerns he decided to continue his pursuit of flight training by delivering personal protective equipment to hospitals around the country. He and his family decided to create Operation SOS — Supplies Over Skies.He brought medical supplies to the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport for Butler Memorial Hospital's use. Kim said the delivery was made upon the invitation of U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, who was there along with Butler Memorial Hospital's Chief Medical Officer Dave Rottinghaus.

This is an excerpt from a story that appears in Monday's Butler Eagle.