A 19-seat Beechcraft 1900 turboprop took off a little after noon Saturday from Cyril E. King Airport, headed to Port-au-Prince with doctors, nurses, medical supplies, and a bulging payload of hope and faith.

The Hatian earthquake survivors will benefit from the medical care, but the people on St. Thomas who contributed to this effort say they received the bigger gift.

Gail deHaas, who along with daughter Juliana energetically helped to pack boxes of supplies, said, "It feels very nice to put your hands on something and help. I get that same feeling I had after Hurricane Marilyn, when everybody came together. I feel chills up my arms."

The Virgin Islands Haitian Medical and Children’s Relief Trip was conceived by local resident Carmen Partridge and pulled together in two days. She said she woke up Thursday morning with the thought that she could do something, and she did.

"I got it started, and it snowballed," she said Saturday, after the flight was safely airborne, and she took a breath. "The story is the people walking up the steps of that plane. It’s courage and faith. They don’t know what they will meet there."

Partridge said she called Dr. Adam Shapiro with her idea, and it took off. "He really got people engaged, the medical community," she said

Susan Hancock, who along with husband Michael owns St. Thomas Jet Center at the airport, said, "We can feel like part of the solution – people need to feel they have done something to help. Ever since late Thursday, people have been bringing supplies,"she said.

"All day yesterday, and this morning they were still coming." Hancock said the center waived all the passenger and landing fees.

Erika Campbell was everywhere, lifting this, sorting that. "I’m a part of the Haitian community," she said. "I need to be part of this. It is so good."

The Jet Center hangar was alive with energy and purpose Saturday morning as folks organized the supplies. "OK," someone said, "we have only room for 400 more pounds. Everybody except the doctors, move out and we’ll get this sorted." They wound up taking 2,200 pounds of supplies.

Antilles School headmaster Paul Horowitz gazed on the scene in what seemed to be wonder, and not without a bit of pride. "We got in the spirit right away," he said. "The school contributed and the PTA matched it. They raised $2,000 in just this week," Horowitz said. "When you pick one thing and make it right, you have made a difference."

Doctors and non-traveling helpers conferred with one another, making sure everything was airtight. A dozen green cooler bags were being stuffed with toiletries, energy bars, gloves, flashlights, mosquito spray for the team, all of whom wore backpacks bearing a very limited amount of personal belongings.

Dr. Henry Francis, a St. Croix gynecologist, looked raring to go, assembling supplies with a ready smile. "I really am looking forward to doing this," he said. "But, I couldn’t do it without my colleagues, Drs. Ann Treasure and Ronald Anders, who are covering for me. Please say I tell them ‘thank you’."

Orthopedists Drs. Bryan Bacot and Julia Gardner — she still in her hospital blues — were busy making certain of their supplies, as were all the medical personnel. The hangar was stuffed with everything imaginable from cases of baby survival items like formula, diapers to bandages, gloves, antibacterial creams, pain medications, rubbing alcohol to hand sanitizers.

Traveling on what Partridge calls her "hero list," were Drs. Francis, Bacot, Gardner and Sara Smith, an internist from the East End Clinic; nurses Carla Stevens, Tashema Clark, Charlene Jones, Jennifer King, Esta Merla Kimball and Michelle Sheil; and attorney Michele Baker, also the translator, and Amy Gurela of Antilles School.

"Be safe," instructed Partridge, "check in with each other twice a day, stay together." Everyone headed out to the aircraft in a brief respite from the morning’s rain, with hugs, goodbye, kisses and waves.

Partridge, wives, husbands and helpers waved at the white, red and blue aircraft as it took off, after which they filed into the now-empty hangar where they joined hands in a prayer circle.

Their prayers so far have been answered. Partridge said Saturday evening, "They were well met. It worked beautifully. People helped unload the supplies and put them on a truck. The airport liaison brought a satellite phone, and he took them to Dr. Green, the connection on the ground."

Partridge continued, "Michele Baker said they were taken to a camp right near the perimeter of the airport where a medical camp was set up. The doctors were put to work right away. She said they seemed very organized on the ground."

However, Partridge learned later Saturday evening that the group had been moved into a hospital in the Ferere Zone of Port-au-Prince. "Michele Baker called and said the UN said there were too many doctors at the field hospital to make it work, so they may close down that operation. They are all together at the community hospital where they will all be staying."

She said most of the group will be returning early next week. "I am so thankful for the hospital," she said, which arranged for the nurses to use their days off to help Haiti. "They all have such an adventurous spirit, a sense of service. Their overarching theme is hope."