Did You Lose Something at Oshkosh?

It's not uncommon for things to go missing during EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, each year. Fortunately, the culture of AirVenture is such that lost items are quickly turned into the Lost and Found office located near the Brown Arch.

Every year people remark on how surprised and happy they are when they recover their belongings, be they cellphones, glasses, cameras, wallets, hats, etc., but sometimes the show ends and items are left behind.

According to Dick Knapinski, director of communications at EAA, the items left at the Lost and Found office are kept for around 60 days, "sometimes longer," he said. "Then we'll donate some items to local groups—the eyeglasses go to the Lions Club for their program, some toys and such to local abuse shelters, and so forth. Some items do get pitched if there’s no value or charitable donation use for them, but we try to repurpose as much as we can. To find the lost item, contact EAA at 920-426-4800 and be connected with the security team that runs lost and found.”

This year, something obviously very special was left behind: a stuffed toy bunny. This stuffed bunny was special enough to be carried to AirVenture—no doubt as an attachment object for a child—but didn't make it home.

Let this sink in for a moment. Remember the attachment object you had as a kid. Was it a teddy bear, a blanket, a Cat in the Hat, or perhaps even a Little Green Sprout? Did anyone have the heart-wrenching experience of losing their attachment item? Or perhaps you have been on the other side of the issue, when one of your children or grandchildren lost their attachment item. (I can picture some of you nodding your heads and perhaps getting misty-eyed at the memory.) For those of you who have not had this experience, let me just tell you it is emotionally devastating to all involved and not something you want to witness.

FLYING learned of the lost bunny through a post on Facebook, and we picked up the gauntlet of challenge, doing our part to help the bunny get back to its owner—and we’re now inviting our readers to join the quest. 

The bunny is currently in the hands of a long-time AirVenture participant, a Wisconsin resident who asked to remain anonymous. For the purpose of this story we will refer to this person as the Keeper of the Bunny or KOB.

"The bunny was found on Friday morning (July 29) at 6 a.m. by Michael and Kerrigan, two young volunteers working the Yellow parking lot nearest to KidVenture,” KOB told FLYING. “They brought the bunny to me, and we all talked about how sad it was for some child, who thought enough about the bunny to bring it on a car trip to EAA, to have left it behind."

The bunny was propped up in a window of a parking lot kiosk—with hopes the family would return and see it there, but this did not happen. Likewise, attempts to get the bunny to the EAA Lost and Found were unsuccessful, as the building was locked by the time the parking staff were able to leave their post.

KOB's family has attended AirVenture every year for decades. Many years ago, one of their children lost an attachment object during a journey so this experience with the lost bunny is deeply personal.

"I do understand a child's trauma of loss," KOB noted. "I read a post on the EAA Facebook site from someone who had lost something, so I crossed my fingers and gave it a shot. There have been lots of lovely, supportive comments to my post, but no one has stepped forward to claim their lost bunny. If wider circulation might reunite this bunny with his family, I am on board!"

As not everyone utilizes Facebook, we're hoping that FLYING readers will be able to help this bunny get home. If this is your bunny, or you know the owner, please reach us at: editorial@flying.media.