Winnipeg, Canada (Canada Press):
(Summer of 1999)
Winnipeg police were thrilled to find - in nearly mint condition - a silver corvette stolen 18 years ago.
But not nearly as thrilled as the two charities which will reap the reward when the pristine vehicle is raffled off next month.
"We don't see a lot of these," purred Sgt. Randy Harris as he looked over the sleek 1981 car, which has only 56 kilometres on the odometer. "It's brand new."
Back in 1981, the car was stolen from the lot of a Chev Olds dealership which has since gone out of business. The dealership collected on its insurance policy and everyone forgot about the stolen car. But in the summer of 1999, const. Rich Lowen received a tip and found the car inside a north-end garage.
Lowen said the thief was too afraid to drive the vehicle but wouldn't give it up, either. The man was convicted of possession of stolen property but served no jail time.
Lowen said since the claim had been paid out on the car so long ago, the insurance company told the Winnipeg police they could keep the car. Officers immediately decided to raffle it off in the hopes of raising $100,000. Half the money will go to the Children's Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children suffering from a life-threatening illness, and the other half to the Michael Mutcheson Memorial Fund, which provides educational scholarships to needy Manitoba children.
Mutcheson was an insurance claims adjuster who was killed in a motor vehicle accident.
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