Budweiser Donates Motorcycle For Raffle

It’s always nice to be able to spend time with family during the holiday season, if you have the time and the resources to do so. Mayor Tom Ross was having a conversation with Col Daniel Hoadley and Col Kenneth McGhee about the challenges of having the highest percentage of first year Airmen of any Air Force base in the United States. Couple that with the fact that travel to and from Minot, because of the northern location, is a challenge when it comes to booking airline flights. “For most of these Airmen, driving is out of the question” according to Mayor Ross “Col. Hoadley and Col. McGhee shared with me that they had undertaken a project of sending as many Airmen home for the holiday season as possible.” The first year of the program limited funds were raised, but several Airmen were given resources to allow them to go home.”

Still, the idea of sending Airmen Home for the Holidays stuck with Mayor Ross, and in the back of his mind he kept thinking that he could use his position as Mayor of Minot to help garner additional funds for the next holiday season.

Fast forward ahead to the Prairie Warrior auction where Ross, Hoadley and McGhee would once again have a conversation about the challenge at hand. Brekka Kramer and the staff of the Minot Chamber/EDC had the idea to sell corporate tables at the Prairie Warrior auction for the Home for the Holidays initiative, the results being an additional $15,000 raised and donated to Minot Air Force Base to assist Airmen in their travel for 2023 and 2024.

“But I kept thinking we could do more” said Ross “I made a promise at the Prairie Warrior auction that I would deliver and additional $150,000 to Home for the Holidays” and Mayor Ross began planning a way to make that promise a reality. “At first, we were focused on some type of large entertainment event, but soon we had to abandon our efforts because we just didn’t have time to plan and execute that type of event by the end of 2023. Not that we have completely abandoned that idea, it’s just that we need more time to plan something that large.”

Then an opportunity presented itself. “Budweiser wanted to spend additional promotional and marketing funds in the market, and so we came up with the idea of a motorcycle raffle. We thought if they (Budweiser) purchased the motorcycle we would be able to sell raffle tickets with the result being an additional $150,000 for Home for the Holidays.”

Long story short, Magic City Beverage, the local distributor for Budweiser, and Budweiser corporate bought into the promotion hook, line and sinker, and the motorcycle was purchased, branded with a Budweiser wrap, and the raffle tickets are now on sale at local vendors of Magic City Beverage.

“We’ll sell 3,000 tickets for $50.00 each. The winning ticket will be drawn on the Minot City Hall steps on September 15th. We’ll present the Harley Davidson to the lucky winter, and a check for $150,000.00 on Saturday night of Norsk Hostfest. It’s a great time because it will be military appreciation night at Norsk Hostfest. The Brother’s Osborne will be on stage in the Great Hall that night. It will be a great moment as we show how Minot supports the base and our military personnel.”

Is there any doubt in Mayor Tom Ross’ mind that Home for the Holidays won’t reach the goal of $150,00.00. “Absolutely not. Minot has proven time and time again that they support Minot Air Force Base and our military personnel. I have confidence we will reach our goal.”