Soaring gift shop in a mall. Brilliant, and I hope the numbers at the
end of the month validate it. Perhaps three more December's will
justify it, especially after holiday shoppers begin to expect to see
this unique gift shop in the mall. What a fantastic way to develop
personal connections with the community! Like many marketing plans,
give it time to work.

This is an excellent example of proactive "taking soaring to the
people" in addition to our usual "build it and they will come"
approach.

Congrats to Peter Smith, Director of the National Soaring Museum, and
the staff, for sharing this very interesting marketing idea. Soaring
clubs and commercial operators could use this as a model for a similar
holiday sales effort. .

By the way, if you have not visited the NSM near Elmira, New York, the
archive of the SSA and home to an amazing collection of historic
sailplanes, do it. Yes, it is off the beaten path, but so are most
things worth seeing on the planet. You can also soar off historic
Harris Hill as the museum is next to the hilltop runway. Join as a
member and support our National Soaring Museum. Go to www.soaringmuseum.org
for more information. Join today, or give a NSM membership as a gift.

News article follows:

National Soaring Museum Opens Mall Store
Star-Gazette (Elmira, NY)

The National Soaring Museum on Harris Hill in Big Flats recently
opened a gift shop at the Arnot Mall for the holiday season.

Windrider Gift Shop is located across from Liberty Travel, just inside
the north entrance to the center court.

The shop offers unique aviation and specialty souvenirs, along with
gift certificates for a sailplane ride from the Harris Hill Soaring
Corporation. Flights are available in either the high performance
glider for $75 or the vintage 2-33 Schweizer glider for $65.

Harris Hill Amusement Park is offering gift certificates as well,
usable for miniature golf, batting cages, go-karts, and the arcade.

Windrider Gift Shop mall hours are noon to 8 p.m. Monday through
Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. You can also shop online at
www.soaringmuseum.org.

For more information, call the National Soaring Museum at (607)
734-3128.