The Motorcoach Marketing Council launched a new Over-the-Road Bus Accessibility-ADA (OTRBA-ADA) Grant Application Raffle valued at $5,000 courtesy of Founding Partner, Community Spec (a Terrapin Blue company).

Raffle tickets may be purchased for $250 each. To improve the odds of winning, operators may purchase sets of two raffle tickets for $400. Proceeds from the raffle benefit the Motorcoach Marketing Council's public awareness campaign to improve perception of the motorcoach and increase ridership throughout North America.

Motorcoach operators can purchase raffle tickets directly from the Motorcoach Marketing Council by contacting Heather Horton, executive director by phone at (303) 818-3499 or via email at Heather@MotorcoachCouncil.org. Raffle ticket entry forms may be downloaded online at http://goo.gl/lvM2b.

Raffle tickets must be purchased (and payment received) by Aug. 15, 2011. The winner will be announced August 16, 2011 to allow Community Spec ample time to complete and submit grant paperwork.

The amount expected to be available for the 2011 grant is $8.8 million. Charter and fixed route carriers are eligible. The funding provided within the grant will help with improvements on buses such as adding lifts, doors, tie-downs, and moveable seats, and also helps provide any type of training related to passengers or other operational activities. This grant also allows companies to be reimbursed for existing wheelchair lifts previously purchased after June 8, 1998.

“We’re pleased to partner with Terrapin Blue on this exciting new grant opportunity and extend this exceptional value to the industry’s motorcoach operators,” said Heather Horton, Motorcoach Marketing Council’s executive director. “The Community Spec grant writers have a proven track record and a 95 percent success rate on funded OTRBA-ADA grant applications. The raffle is a great way to file this grant application at a fraction of the retail rate, while supporting the Council’s nationwide public awareness campaign.”