Neko Case is giving away her 1967 Mercury Cougar, made famous on the cover of 2009’s Middle Cyclone, in a raffle to benefit 826 National, which provides free tutoring and literacy programs to more than 24,000 students in eight cities nationwide. Co-founded by Your Favorite Author Dave Eggers, 826 chapters produced 800 student-authored publications last year, with all programs free of charge for students, classes, and schools. 826 recently opened a branch in Columbia Heights.
The deadline to enter the sublimely titled Cougar-rama Muscle Car-‘splosion is less than three weeks away, and tickets can be purchased now (one ticket costs $45, two tickets costs $75, and all extra tickets after two cost $25 each). The Grand Prize winner will be selected on March 18; in addition, 826 National will draw a prize per day beginning Monday, March 14. Prizes will include:
- Neko’s limited-edition 1966 Gretsch Silver Duke guitar
- A Gibson acoustic guitar signed by members of the Speaking Clock Revue including Elton John,
Elvis Costello, Dr. Ralph Stanley, Leon Russell, and T Bone Burnett - A Carr Amplifier
- Music from Matador Records, SubPop Records, Secretly Canadian, and Astralwerks
Check out this ride, and watch Neko make the case (see what I did there?) for entering: