When Hugh Hunton of Shreveport, a retired USAF Lt. Colonel and an active Colonel in the Commemorative Air Force Lone Star Wing, purchased his raffle tickets for the Airshow Cadillac, it was his way of showing active support to the Flight of the Phoenix Aviation

Museum. Hunton is a regular participant in the local museum's airshow and open house programs, flying vintage warbirds for the events.

When Vicki Gibbs of Gilmer bought her Airshow Raffle tickets...she was supporting the museum too...but she also needed a car.

On January 16th when the Shreveport Colonel was advised that he had won the drawing, he donated the car back to the museum, with instructions to find a worthy home for the car.

The local DQ owner Larry Bishop has been a faithful sponsor of the museum since the beginning, and one of his employees who had purchased raffle tickets did not own a car.

The museum wanted to show appreciation to its sponsors, so the decision to transfer the Airshow Raffle Cadillac to Vicki Gibbs at the DQ was a no-brainer.

Congratulations Vicki....and thank you for supporting the museum.

Colonel Hunton came to Gilmer on Jan. 30 and made the Cadillac donation official.

Local museum sponsors in addition to DQ who have helped with Raffle Ticket sales are First National Bank Main branch and WalMart Branch, Gilmer National Bank, Brookshires, WalMart Store, Chevron/Young Oil Food Stop, Mike Craig Ford, Gilmer Area Chamber of Commerce, Yazell Chevrolet, Dodd Motor Co, The Gilmer Mirror, JL Aero at Fox Stephens Field, and Upshur County Economic Development. Also Texas American Bank in Mt Vernon, First National Bank in Pittsburg, and First National Bank in Big Sandy.

The Flight of the Phoenix Aviation Museum continues with the Raffle of a Piper Cherokee airplane until all 1100 tickets are sold. Details are on the museum website www.flightofthephoenix.org