By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Forget paper, silver, gold, or, even music, for Karen Wood and her husband, Dave Donley, their 27th wedding anniversary theme is turkey.
Wood won the $1,000 top prize in the Wood County Museum’s turkey drop fundraiser.
On Thursday morning, 150 foam turkeys were dropped by a Toledo Aerial Media drone onto the parking lot at the museum. The numbered turkeys had been purchased by patrons for $50 each – all were sold. Cash prizes went to the three that landed closest to the target.
And #22, Wood’s turkey, came closest to the mark. Abel Buck scored the $750 for having the turkey that was next nearest, with Michelle Sweetser coming in third for a $500 prize.
When he heard his wife had won, Donley expressed surprise. He thought she hadn’t bought a chance – he had purchased two. He’d won a prize in a previous drone drop.
But she had. She didn’t expect to win, but she considered it another donation to the museum.
They were among the two-dozen or so folks on hand to watch the small foam birds spill out of the sky.
Wood loves the museum, and volunteers helping to keep up the herb garden.
She likes the work and the people who work with her, so much so that she’s donating $200 of her turkey winnings to the museum specifically to benefit the garden.
Donley has worked helping raise funds for the museum by organizing and hosting whiskey tastings.
The museum has had drone drop fundraisers before, but those used plastic golf balls.
Marissa Muniz Kolhoff, the marketing an events coordinator, said this was a fun twist on this idea, fitting with the Thanksgiving holiday.
The turkey drop was inspired by a 1978 episode of the ditcom “WKRP in Cincinnati.” In that case, live turkeys were dropped from a helicopter onto the shopping plaza parking lot.
Clint Corpe, of WBGU’s The Morning Show, was on hand to broadcast the turkey drop. No turkeys were hurt in this event he promised listeners.
