Preparations Underway for First-ever Maine Suitcase Party in Maine Aviation Hangar at Portland Jetport to Benefit Camp Sunshine

Partygoers bring packed suitcases in hopes of winning swanky weekend in New York City via private jet

Portland, Maine - A cavernous maintenance hangar at the Portland International Jetport will be transformed into a world-class function facility over the next two weeks for the first-ever Maine Suitcase Party to benefit Camp Sunshine.

Preparations are underway for this unusual charity event on Sept. 21 that requires all partygoers to bring packed suitcases for a chance to immediately board a waiting, private jet for an all expense-paid weekend in New York City.

The “suitcase party” fundraiser, similar to a handful of others held in other parts of the country, is the first to take place in the Eastern U.S., according to event organizers.

“Everybody who walks the red carpet and enters the hangar that night has a chance to leave in a private jet,” said Mark Richard of Keller Williams Realty Portland, the event sponsor. “It’s going to create a tremendous level of anticipation and excitement as any guest could be whisked away to New York City by jet or to a local luxury resort or hotel by limo. And it’s all for a great cause. Camp Sunshine is a special place.”

Camp Sunshine (www.campsunshine.org) is a one-of-a-kind national retreat in Casco, Maine that provides a welcome respite for children and their families coping with such life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, kidney disease and lupus.

Tickets to the Maine Suitcase Party are limited and are available at www.campsunshine.org/support_us/donations/me_sp.php. The cost is $100 for a First Class ticket, which includes a raffle ticket for prizes. Additional raffle entries can be purchased at the event for $25 each. A Jetsetter ticket, costing $250, provides access to a special private lounge area inside the hangar. Corporate packages also are available.

For additional information, visit www.mainesuitcaseparty.com or call (207) 553-2445.

Guests arrive via the red carpet with their entrances shown on a video screen inside the hangar. The Friday, Sept. 21 event, from 7-11 p.m., features cocktails, dancing, live music from Motor Booty Affair, light appetizers and a silent auction for trips and other items.

Event host Maine Aviation Corporation is donating the hangar as well as the Hawker 1000 corporate jet and crew for the New York City roundtrip.

Over the next two weeks, the hangar will be emptied of aircraft, tools and equipment and the floor repaired and refinished before a stage, lighting and sound are installed and the red carpet rolled out, said Jim Iacono of Maine Aviation, recognized as a global leader in reconditioning airliners into VIP jets.

“We operate around the world providing transportation to high-profile figures, from heads of state to actors and musicians,” Iacono said. “On Sept. 21, we’re going to bring that same level of service and make it a special night for the lucky winners we fly to New York City and all the partiers inside our hangar.”

Here’s how the evening will unfold.

The private jet will be stationed just outside the hangar. The hangar doors will open just before the grand prize drawing at 8:45 p.m. The two winners, with their guests, will be escorted to their cars by golf cart to pick up their suitcases and brought back to board the jet. Meanwhile, there will be a live auction for the last two seats on the private jet. Partygoers will then watch as the jet taxis to the runway with the winners aboard.

Following a 50-minute flight in luxury to an executive jetport in New York City, the winners will be chauffeured by LimoLink to The Blakely Hotel in Manhattan for the weekend, returning via private jet to Portland on Sunday evening. Each winner also will receive $500 in spending money.

After the grand prize winners depart, more drawings will take place and those winners will climb into limousines for two-night getaways to local luxury resorts and hotels such as the Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake and Black Point Inn on Prout’s Neck.

“Camp Sunshine is so grateful to Keller Williams Realty Portland, Maine Aviation Corp. and all the sponsors who have created this first-ever Maine Suitcase Party to benefit our program helping children and their families,” said Michael Smith, Director of Special Events at Camp Sunshine. “And we’d like to thank everyone in advance for purchasing a ticket to this thrilling event. It’s going to be a special night.”

Located along Maine’s Sebago Lake, Camp Sunshine has offered recreational, medical and counseling services at no cost to more than 32,000 people from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds since 1984.

Find the Maine Suitcase Party on Facebook and Twitter. Sponsorships opportunities are still available. For more information, visit www.mainesuitcaseparty.com.

About Keller Williams Realty Portland
Keller Williams Realty Portland, a company owned by Maine real estate agents, has operated a Market Center in Portland since 2003. The company has more than 240 professionals presently serving clients throughout southern and central Maine. The Portland-based company has been recognized for years as one of Keller Williams Realty International’s top performing franchises, and in 2012 it was recognized as the franchise’s number one performer in the world.

Keller Williams Realty, Inc. is an Austin, Texas-based, real estate franchise company with more than 80,000 real estate agents, operating in approximately 690 market centers (offices) across the United States and Canada. Keller Williams Realty is currently the second-largest residential real estate company in the United States. For more information, visit www.kw.com or call 207.553.2445.

About Camp Sunshine
Camp Sunshine offers children with life-threatening illnesses and their families a place to relax together for a week, and to take a break from the extraordinary demands placed upon them on a daily basis. The year-round program is free of charge and staffed almost entirely by volunteers. It is the only program in the nation whose mission is to address the impact of a life-threatening illness on every member of the immediate family — the ill child, the parents and the siblings. Since its inception in 1984, Camp Sunshine has provided a haven for more than 32,000 individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. In addition to providing 24-hour on-site medical and psychosocial support, the camp offers a variety of daily activities, including swimming, boating, archery and soccer, and special events such as bonfires and cookouts. To support Camp Sunshine, call (207) 655-3800 or visit www.campsunshine.org.

About Maine Aviation Corporation
Maine Aviation Corporation is a global general aviation company, operating throughout the world, with headquarters based in Portland, Maine. Business units include: Aircraft Maintenance and Avionics, Cessna Aircraft Distributorship, Jet Sales, International Jet Management - Charter Operations and Flight School. Established in 1959, Maine Aviation Corporation is one of the oldest and most respected aviation companies in the United States. For more information, visit www.maineaviation.com.