EAA President Tom Poberezny hands the keys to a 2010 Mustang GT convertible to Marjorie Gjesdal, winner of the Young Eagles Raffle. Photo by Bonnie Kratz

August 3, 2009 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin  - Marjorie Gjesdal of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, has a shiny souvenir to take home from her first-ever AirVenture visit: a 2010 Mustang GT convertible. Marjorie is the grand prize winner of the 2009 Young Eagles Raffle.

"Oh my God, I've won a car," Marjorie recalled saying after hearing her name announced as the raffle winner. Marjorie was sitting below the announcer's stand when her name was called. EAA President and Chairman Tom Poberezny was sitting near Marjorie when she heard the news. "Tom said, 'I'm the first one who witnessed the look on your face when you won,'" Marjorie recalled him saying. "He told me it was a wonderful way to end AirVenture, by having the winner right here."

Marjorie's husband, Eldon, is active in EAA Chapter 30 in Edmonton, and a four-year volunteer with the "Green Gang," the volunteers who provide flightline communications. Eldon noted that when he purchased the ticket, he put his wife's name on it, even though she's never won anything. He looked at the win rather practically, saying he and his wife had been thinking about replacing her current convertible with a new one. "Now it's done, and for just $100," he said. "I like this price better than what we were looking at."

There's only one problem. "I have to learn how to drive a standard transmission car," Marjorie said, but that will take care of itself; she's got a three-day drive back to Edmonton to learn. "It's awesome," she said, as she and her husband drove away from EAA headquarters this morning with the top down. "It's been a wonderful experience to come to Oshkosh."

The car comes courtesy of Ford Custom Accessories and EAA, with support from Kocourek Ford in Wausau, Wisconsin. Just 1,500 raffle tickets were sold, at a price of $100 each. The Young Eagles raffle helps to support EAA's youth education outreach activities.

Other major prize winners