The historic smoke stacks in Berlin, NH will soon be history.

They were built in the 1800s when the pulp and paper mills were booming. But when the final mill closed last year, North American Dismantling Corp. was brought in to tear down the property and remove the three stacks.

The company decided to raise money for a local dental hygiene program for kids by raffling off the chance to ignite the explosives behind the implosions.

Tickets are selling for $5 each and can be purchase by anyone 21-years or older. Two winners will be chosen on September 13th.

The third implosion will be triggered by a yet-to-be-named state dignitary.

Don Mercier said he hopes his raffle ticket will make him part of Berlin's history. He worked at Berlin's pulp and paper mill for 40 years and he said he wants to trigger the explosion to bring the smoke stacks down.

"That's all we've ever known -- the paper mill stacks -- and the smoke that comes out of them," Mercier said. "To us, that was our livelihood."

Mercier said the implosion will allow the city to begin a new chapter.

"So the pain is going to go away, and things are going to change," he said. "People are going to find new lives, ways to earn a living and things are going to change now."