NPCC raffle pickup to begin tour of area communities

The 2021 North Platte Community College raffle pickup will begin its tour of area communities this week. 

All times are Central unless otherwise noted. 

The burnt orange 1955 Chevy stepside short box will be on display at the North Platte Walmart from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 2. 

Beginning at noon (MT) July 3, the pickup will be at the Grant Car Show in the city park in Grant. 

It will then travel to Sutherland for the annual Independence Day celebration in the city park from 9-11 a.m. and be in the parade at 2 p.m. July 4.

The Chevy will spend July 8 in McCook for Radio Days. It will start out at the KRD Federal Credit Union from 10-11:30 a.m. before moving on to NAPA Auto Parts - Southwest Farm and Auto Supply from noon to 1:30 p.m. From 2-3:30 p.m., the pickup will be at Nebraskaland Tire and Service. 

The Chevy will make an appearance at Broken Bow's Crazy Days July 9. It will be set up in the city square from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.   

As in years past, tickets will be sold everywhere the vehicle is displayed, at all Mid-Plains Community College campuses and at various area businesses. 

Pickup highlights 

The Chevy is the 16th raffle vehicle produced by the college's Transportation Division. It was restored by students in the Automotive Technology and Auto Body Technology programs. 

The students disassembled it – essentially reducing it down to a shell. They then sandblasted the body and frame to bare metal. 

From there, they embarked on the long and challenging process of transforming the vehicle into a work of art. The project required them to study and merge traditional and modern engineering and technology and provided them with real-world experience. 

The pickup features a 6.0-liter V8 engine, 4L80E performance transmission, four-wheel disc brakes, power steering, air conditioning, cruise control and custom bed. 

Upcoming appearances 

The pickup will tour the state throughout the summer, making appearances at car shows, parades and cruise night events. A schedule is posted at mpcc.edu/community/npcc-classic-car-projects/car-raffle. 

A total of 10,000 raffle tickets will be offered at a cost of $10 each. Proceeds will be used for scholarships for students in the college's transportation programs and to help offset the cost of producing the next raffle car project. 

A number of businesses, organizations and individuals have offered to sell tickets. In North Platte, those include: Don's Motor Company, Cohagen Battery Store, Levander's Body Shop, Grandma's Memories Antiques and Collectibles, Isabelle's Auction House, A.J. Janas, Pat Smith, Jody's Auto Sales, Janssen Buick GMC, Modern Tire Pros, Larry's Barber and Style Shop and LKQ Corporation. 

The Yellow Rose Lounge and Herrick Auto and Marine, in Curtis; Top Notch Auto and Towing and Moe's Graphics, in Gothenburg; Kent Silvester, in Imperial, and Neil Noel, in Beaver City also have tickets.   

Additionally, tickets will be available at the welcome centers of MPCC campuses in McCook, North Platte, Broken Bow, Imperial, Ogallala and Valentine. 

The drawing for the pickup will be at 2 p.m. Sept. 11 during the annual Colonel Cody's Cruise Show and Shine in Memorial Park.