I have received approval from Jeanne to present a  new contest and swap for the 4th of July. This has two tiers. so everyone can participate, even if you don't wish to send an item to a swap partner. Here's how it will work:

Tier One - Join the contest by posting  a fun fact about your city or state in the thread,  then choose a number between 1 and 50, for the Fifty Nifty United States, and PM me with your choice.  Each contestant will be eligible to receive the grand prize, which is a handmade "I Love America" lap quilt, approximately 34 inches square, which I will send to the contestant who chooses the winning number.  In case of two entries with the same number, the earlier entry will be awarded the number. Please be sure that you PM me with a current address when you send in your chosen number.

Tier Two - Everything in Tier One, but for those who also wish to swap a patriotic-themed item.  This can be handmade or purchased, and you will not be sending to the same person who is sending to you unless only two people sign up.  I am going to set a $10 upper limit on this item. 

Signups are open now, June 14th, (Happy Flag Day!) and will continue until June 21st.  Swap partners will be assigned on the 22nd, and I ask that you mail ( and give the tracking number) by the 25th so that your gift will hopefully be received before July 4th.

The winning number for the quilt  will be announced on June 22nd.  Depending on interest, consolation prizes may be awarded. 

If you have any questions, please PM me.  Let's have fun with this and learn lots of fun facts while we celebrate our Fifty Nifty United States. 

Participants. Levels, and Numbers Chosen

1. Melanie, Tiers 1 and 2-  No number selected, since  I'm the moderator :))

2.. Rebecca M. - Tiers 1 and  2 - Number 21

3. Jeanne G. - Tiers 1 and 2.  - Number 28

4. Towana - TIers 1 and 2 - Number 23

5. Connie B. - Tiers 1 and 2 - Number 26

6. Jacci M. - Tier 1 - Number 16

7. Lynn M..  - Tiers 1 and 2 - Number 7

Here's my fun fact:  The town where I grew up, San Angelo,Texas, is home to Fort Concho, one of the best-preserved frontier forts in the United States. It was active from 1867 until 1889, and was one of the posts that was  home to the famous "Buffalo Soldiers",   African-American troopers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry regiments. many of whom had formerly been enslaved.

I will sign up for Tier 2 please..........will have to ponder a fun fact. Thanks for hosting, Melanie as I am still recovering. And thanks for providimg a lovely prize for the contest. 

Here are some fun facts about North Carolina. "Putt-putt, a type of miniature golf, was invented in Fayetteville in 1954. It all started at 'Putt-Putt Fun Center.' Today, it's an internationally known pastime."

NC is the largest producer of sweet potatoes.

The Venus Flytrap is a native plant within a 75-mile radius of Wilmington, NC.

I am going to participate in Tier 2 as well.

I put all the numbers, from 1 to 50, into a bowl and had my husband draw one out. Who can guess what it is? 

Thank you for the North Carolina Fun Fact,  Rebecca.. 

My home state of ILLINOIS, was named from an Indian word for 'men' or 'warriors' and the French adjective ending in 'ois'. My hometown from age 3 was DAKOTA in northern Il near the WI border. The DAKOTA ( often spelled with an h at the end) were a tribe related to the SIOUX. About 20  minutes away is the village of Pecatonica, also the name of a nearby river in the county of WINNEBAGO, another tribe name. 
--so my high school  was the Dakota Indians, my nephews played sports for the Pecatonica Indians.

I think many people don't realize the historical background of Illinois as an Indian territory. We are home to Chief Blackhawk! His enormous statue stands in one of the state parks on a cliff overlooking a highway. 
 

I pick #28 for the contest. 

I was born and raised in Chicago.  Chicago’s first permanent settler in 1779 was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a trapper and merchant credited with building the trading post that evolved into Chicago. With French and African parentage, du Sable hailed from Haiti and settled in what was to become Chicago with his Potawatomi wife, Kittihawa. He is honored in Chicago with Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive, DuSable Bridge on Michigan Avenue, and the DuSable Museum of African American History.

I will participate in Tier 1 and 2. 

Welcome Jeanne and Towana. We are up to four; who would like to be number five? Remember, you don't have to sign up to send anything if you'd rather not; you can just give your fun fact, pick a number, and participate in the contest that way.  I am working on handcrafted items for each participant, so even if you don't win the big prize, you will get something. 

I would like to join for both Tiers pretty please.

I am from Centralia IL...famous for Country Bob's Sauce being made here. 

Also the baseball player Gary Gaetti is from my town and I think Ronald Reagan's secetary of state James Brady was born here as well. :)

I pick #26.

Fixed my number for contest #28 

Don't know if he was born there Connie, but yes James Brady spent at least some of his growing up years there as he was friends with my mom and her older brothers. ( I still have 3 first cousins and some of their kids and grandkids living in Centralia.) 

And now we are five, and the state of Illinois is very well represented.  Interestingly enough,  my older sister was born in Oak Park, Illinois. My mother came to Chicago from Atlanta to do a dietetic internship at Cook County Hospital and met my father, who was from San Angelo, Texas,  but had moved to Chicago for business there. They  moved back to San Angelo to help care for my elderly grandfather, which is why I was born there instead of in Chicago. 

My brother and I was born at Cook County Hospital.  The hospital is still there but upgraded and it called now Stroger Hospital.   I live near Oak Park (5 minutes drive).  I"m in Oak Park once or a twice a week taking a walk at one of their parks.  I love Oak Park area.  

It really is a small world, isn't it? 

Four more days left to sign up for this swap, and remember that you don't have to send a gift to anyone if you only choose Tier 1; everyone will receive a handcrafted patriotic themed item from me even if you don't pick the winning number for the big prize. Send in your fun fact about a city or state that is special to you and choose a number between 1 and 50, except for the ones that have already been chosen, to enter the prize drawing by midnight on June 21st.  

I had a question about Tier 2 items that I want to address. Your item can be homemade or sourced from anywhere, and it can certainly be purchased online and sent directly to  your swap partner.  I suggested a $10 limit so no one feels obligated to spend a fortune; the idea is to bring a smile to someone's face with something that will brighten her day at this time of year. 

Let's celebrate the Fifty Nifty United States!

And here's the song - I still remember hearing my kids singing it in middle school choir back in the early 90's.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5BsyfLT9yo

I have some fun facts about New York State as I lived in that state for the first part of my life. New York was the first state to require license plates on vehicles in 1901. Then there are 1,864 islands in the Thousand Islands. And, each minute, 40 million gallons of water pour over Niagara Falls.

I would love to join!  I can do Tier 1.  I'll choose the number 16.  

I'm living in Missouri right now but I'm from Dallas.  Missouri is known as the cave state with over 6,100 known caves.  I've toured several of them including one that you ride a tram through.  They're great to visit in the hot summer!  

Welcome Jacci! Now we are six - who would like to be number seven?  You have until midnight PBS ( EDT) time June 21st to sign up. 

Hello--I will join for both tiers--1 and 2.

Thank you for moderating, Melanie. 

My number will be 7.

My facts about New York-I grew up on Long Island, so these facts will be about LI. They come from Wikipedia, so correct me if I'm wrong.

--Long Island is the largest island in the 48 contiguous states.

--The country's only working water mill and wind mill are in the Long Island community of Water Mill.

--Long Island Sound's 1300 square miles of surface area, with an average depth of 65 feet, contains about 67 billion tons of water. That's equivalent to 18 trillion gallons!

Welcome Lynn . Who will join to make us an even eightsome? 

And the winnerof the prize drawing  is ---- Jeanne Glogowski!  The number my husband drew was 49, and Jeanne got closer than anyone else with her choice of number 28. 

Jeanne, your patriotic -themed lap quilt will go to the PO or UPS - whichever works out better- on Monday.  Congratulations!

For those of you participating in Tier 2, here are your pairings. I will PM a full list of all participants to everyone.

Melanie sends to Connie B.

Connie sends to Rebecca M.

Rebecca sends to Jeanne 

Jeanne sends to Lynn M.

Lynn sends to Towana

Towana sends to me.

Follow the guidelines for gifting in the thread; try to send before the end of June unless the person you are sending to requests otherwise. 

I ordered for Jeanne from Current. https://www.fedex.com/fedextrack/?trknbr=403756964052&trkqual=12027~403756964052~FDEG

Thanks for letting us know, Rebecca. I got the most recent (current?) Current catalog in the mail this week and they have some very cute patriotic themed items. Jeanne is in for a treat.