Chapter 878 Reaps Benefits of 501c3 Status

July 2017 - On Sunday, June 25, EAA Chapter 878 members Tim Bond, Fred Jude, Pete Radintz, and Wayne Flury drove to the Holland Air Park (36WI), a residential fly-in community located north of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and purchased a hangar door.

The chapter, located in Maple Lake, Minnesota, was deciding whether to purchase or build a door for its newly acquired hangar at Maple Lake Municipal Airport. Tim found an appropriately sized door listed on Craigslist and contacted the owners, Patrick and Becky Brockman, who were remodeling an existing hangar and planning a residential addition. Thus, their hangar door became “excess inventory” and was advertised for sale.

Patrick and Becky are members of EAA Chapter 307 of LaCrosse and, when Tim told them about EAA Chapter 878’s hangar project and that the chapter is a 501(c)(3) organization, Patrick and Becky agreed to adjust their asking price from $2,500 to $1,000 (and take a charitable contribution tax deduction).

The door was originally manufactured by the Hi-Fold Door Corporation of River Falls, Wisconsin, and is in excellent condition. Patrick and Becky both helped in the disassembly and borrowed a tractor with a front-end loader to lower the door and then lift it onto Tim’s trailer. Plus, Becky made lunch for us after we were done!

In addition to a number of smaller donations received by the chapter, this was an excellent example of the benefits that our nonprofit status provides the chapter.