Wings of the North (WOTN) has kicked off its fifth annual airplane sweepstakes, offering participants a chance to win a 1946 Cessna 140 aircraft or $30,000 in cash.
This fundraiser supports the Eden Prairie-based nonprofit aviation history organization’s Minnesota-themed museum and community projects. With the AirExpo show paused for 2024, the sweepstakes will be the organization’s primary fundraiser for the year.
Tickets for the sweepstakes are priced at $50 each or three for $120. The grand prize drawing will take place on Sept. 28 during the museum’s annual fall pancake breakfast. The winner need not be present to win. Additional prizes, including aviation radios, headsets, and GPS systems, will be awarded in biweekly drawings starting July 20. Winning tickets from preliminary drawings remain eligible for all subsequent prizes.
Last year’s winner flew home to California in a 1948 V-tail Bonanza. This year, the Cessna 140, currently undergoing FAA annual inspections, will be available for viewing at the Wings of the North Air Museum at Flying Cloud Airport in mid-June.
Entries can be purchased online until 5 p.m. CT the Thursday before each drawing. Complete rules are also available online.
“Since we are not doing an AirExpo this summer, the sweepstakes is our only fundraiser,” said Bob Jasperson, president of the WOTN board of directors and a longtime group volunteer.
In November 2023, the nonprofit educational organization’s board announced plans to pause the AirExpo in 2024, attributing it to escalating operational costs and a notable reduction in available show space. The board stated then that it hopes the decision will enable WOTN to focus on making the necessary adjustments to ensure that the 2025 show is a “successful and well-received event.”
Money raised through the sweepstakes will support WOTN’s efforts to build a permanent museum at Flying Cloud Airport. The museum reopened in September 2023 after a two-year hiatus and is currently in a temporary facility at 14857 Pioneer Trail, near Gate H.
Wings of the North is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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