Here’s your chance to own a piece of Great Bear history

Whether you have great memories of skiing at Great Bear Ski Valley or are looking for a unique addition to your outdoor decor, you have the chance to purchase a piece of the park’s past.

Forty of the red chairs from Great Bear’s original chairlift are being raffled off to raise funds for future expansion.

There are a few things to know about this:

• Raffle tickets are $50.
• If you’re selected, you’ll be able to purchase a chair for $700.
• You’ll have to figure out how to move it.
• Each chair is about 300 pounds and measures 96 inches base to top of stem, 88 inches wide and 23 inches deep.

Raffle tickets are available through June 14 at greatbearpark.com. Winners will be drawn June 17.

The purchase of multiple red chair raffle tickets is allowed. The total price for a chair is $750. If a person who purchased multiple tickets is selected as a winner, an additional $700 will be due. One person may win the opportunity to purchase multiple chairs. Raffle tickets are nonrefundable.

Looking for a memento that’s a little more portable? Great Bear also is selling commemorative plaques showcasing a 12-inch section of the red chairlift’s wire rope. The plaques are available on the park’s website for $75 each while supplies last. Each plaque is 14-by-7-inches, and all funds will go toward future Great Bear development.

Commemorative red chairlift shirts and sweatshirts also are for sale online through June 17.

In addition to the 40 chairs being raffled off, one red chair will be available to be bid on at the 10th annual Angels With a Dream Car Show & Silent Auction on June 13 at Great Bear Recreation Park. All proceeds from the event benefit Make-A-Wish South Dakota. For details, visit facebook.com/angelswithadream.

This is all possible because Great Bear has a new chairlift ahead. Construction of the new quad SkyTrac chairlift is underway for this coming season. You can see it this summer if you go to the park to hike on its 4-mile trail system.