Museum of Flight Receives $141,000 Match from Bill and Melinda Gates

SEATTLE -- The Museum of Flight is pleased to announce a matching gift of $141,000 from Bill and Melinda Gates to redesign and remodel one of its most important permanent installations—The Hangar, a hands-on children's exhibit.

The couple will match what was raised for The Hangar during the Museum's recent "Out of This World For Kids" gala. A total of two million dollars was raised at the auction, and guests specifically committed $141,000 to The Hangar exhibit.

Opened in 1989, the exhibit is modeled after an authentic aircraft hangar and is filled with actual planes that help students learn how to design, pilot, and maintain aircraft. Kids also gain important math, science, and teamwork skills in Hangar programs, skills that will aid them in any future career. This Federal Aviation Administration award winner has served a million children and received widespread praise from Washington State educators over the past ten years.

"Support from Bill and Melinda will enable the Museum of Flight to restore artifacts in The Hangar, provide more exhibits for preschoolers, and make the exhibit more accessible to all visitors. The Hangar re-design will also include new motion-based flight simulators, thematic costumes and props, and more storage space," says Executive Director Ralph Bufano.

The Museum of Flight does more educational programming than any other air and space museum in the U.S., reaching 65,000 Washington State children a year with activities that teach not only science and math, but history and communication as well. The Museum has expanded its educational offerings with more than 20 newly revised school and youth programs, learning activities targeted at preschool-age children, and outreach programs that take the Museum to community, school, and youth organizations throughout the Northwest. As an independent, nonprofit cultural foundation, the Museum of Flight exists to acquire, preserve, and exhibit historically significant air and space artifacts. The collection provides a foundation for lifelong learning for visitors of all ages and backgrounds, from the novice to the professional.