BRUNSWICK, ME - Mid-Coast area business leaders Jim Howard, Frank Crooker, and Ted Crooker presented checks in the amount of $200,000 to the Brunswick Naval Aviation Museum (BNAM) today in support of the museum’s “WHEELS UP!” capital campaign.
In delivering his $100,000 donation, Jim Howard stated, “It is my pleasure to contribute to BNAM’s mission to preserve the heritage of NAS Brunswick and the men and women who served there. I look forward to seeing BNAM complete its Phase 1 capital construction project next year to transform the museum into another first-rate attraction for Brunswick Landing.” In delivering their combined $100,000 donation, Frank and Ted Crooker added, “We are excited to contribute to telling the story of the area’s aviation. In addition to the 68 years of NAS Brunswick’s operations, few people are aware of this region’s rich aviation history dating back to the dawn of aviation. We look forward to preserving that story for future generations, and we challenge other area business leaders to match our donations.”
The Brunswick Naval Avia-tion Museum was founded in 2009 and acquired the former Naval Air Station Brunswick chapel in 2015. “These generous donations will enable us to commit to the full scope of Phase 1 of our construction project,” said museum Executive Director, John Briley, “and we can now begin to transform the for-mer chapel into a world-class museum.” This first phase includes the installation of a new fire suppression and security system, and a new inviting glass curtain-wall entrance opposite the P-3 “Orion” static display aircraft.
Lajoie Brothers, Inc. has begun construction, with completion estimated for the spring of 2023 followed by a grand opening to be announced at a later date. Museum President Sean Liedman stated, “We are grateful for these significant donations by Jim, Ted, and Frank. This $575,000 Phase 1 construction project formally kicks off the transformation of our museum, and we look forward to actualizing the full vision of our $3.3M capital campaign that will build out an interactive, educational experience that will not only preserve NASB’s heritage for all to see, but also will teach area youth about the science and art of flying and maintaining airplanes and inspire them to pursue aerospace careers.”
Visit our website at bna museum.org. The Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. All contributions are income tax deductible within IRS guidelines.