Donate, Search, Shop for Wings Over Salina
 
Salina, Kan., (June 1, 2010) - What if the Wings Over Salina Air Museum earned a donation every time you searched the Internet?  Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support the celebration of Salina area military and civilian aviation?  Well, now it can! 

And at NO COST to you!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue- about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate.  Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 30 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause.  Hundreds of store including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, eBay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you'll be supporting the Wings Over Salina Air Museum.

And if you download the GoodSearch- Wings Over Salina Air Museum toolbar, we'll earn money every time you search and shop online. Add the Wings Over Salina Air Museum toolbar to your computer today!

It's that easy! 

With GoodSearch you can even see how much money our searches have made for the Wings Over Salina Air Museum and share the information with your family and friends.  Spread the word at GoodSeach.com today!

People wishing to donate funds directly to the museum online can do so, on the Greater Salina Community Foundation website by selecting "Donate Online Now" then selecting the "Donate Now through Network for Good" button.  In the "Designation" section type in Wings Over Salina Air Museum and if you'd like to donate to the provisional or endowment fund.  Others wishing to send a check can send it to PO Box 2876, Salina, KS 67402-2876. 

For stock gifts call the Foundation at 785.823.1800 for assistance.   

The Authority started a provisional fund with $500 to raise money for planning and construction.  Money donated to that fund will go to building the museum structure and monuments to commemorate items of significance in local aviation.  An endowment fund to support operations has been seeded by the Airport Authority with $10,000.

Currently, the south lobby of the M.J. Kennedy Air Terminal Building will play host to many of the items that will find a permanent home in the Wings Over Salina Air Museum.  As items come in, more are being displayed for visitors to enjoy.    

Items sought after for the museum include Smoky Hill Army Airfield and Schilling Air Force Base related materials.  The military had a huge presence in Salina in the 1940s through the 1960s, and a near devastating effect on the town when the base closed.  The men and women who called Salina home during the building blocks of its history have since scattered to all edges of the country.  Those historic items are proving to be the most difficult to find.

Plans are in works to gather oral histories and memorabilia from the men and women who spent time on any of the bases in the Salina area. 

Along with a significant military aviation history, Salina is the boyhood home of former NASA astronaut Steven Hawley.  The town made aviation history twice in the mid 2000s.  In 2005, Steve Fossett flew the first solo nonstop airplane flight around the world, starting and ending in Salina.  Then in 2006, he set the absolute distance over a closed circuit record, landing in Salina.  Major aviation manufacturers have employed thousands of local residents since the late 60s.  Unmanned aerial systems being developed at K-State at Salina are quickly changing the course of history and the future of aviation.     

For donation questions call the Greater Salina Community Foundation at 785.823.1800.  Those who wish to donate historical items or have their names added to the list to be contacted for oral histories should call Melissa at the Airport at 785.827.3914.