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Astronaut Auction Includes NASCAR Experience
Adventure-seekers scouring the Web in search of unique "things-to-do" need look no further than Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s (ASF) Spring Auction of Astronaut Experiences & Memorabilia, which opens Thurs., March 7, 2013 at 9 a.m. Eastern at www.AstronautScholarship.org/auction.
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The seven exclusive Astronaut Experiences being offered line up with many of 2013’s top predicted vacation trends, which include river cruises, outdoor adventures, and "unique experiences."
ASF’s auction features a private Chesapeake Bay cruise aboard the "Sea Toy," the 43-foot vessel owned and captained by space shuttle astronaut Fred Gregory, as well as the chance to do some Denver-area mountain climbing with Scott Parazynski, the first astronaut to scale Mount Everest.
Then there’s VIP access to NASCAR’s Coke Zero 400 accompanied by Apollo 16 moon-walker Charlie Duke. Or a personal tour of the National Air & Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center and the orbiter Discovery with astronaut Joe Allen, who once flew on it.
"These are perfect examples of activities that are great alone and even better when you do them with an astronaut hero by your side," said Linn LeBlanc, executive director of ASF. "How do you improve a trip to the Cayman Islands? You add a private diving voyage with the legendary Buzz Aldrin, second man to set foot on the moon!"
The Aldrin experience is anticipated to be among the auction’s most fervently contested lots. But LeBlanc expects that space enthusiasts with kids might be more interested in treating their young ones to a classroom visit from Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise, or a Space Camp experience featuring shuttle astronaut Jan Davis.
"Astronauts embody the idea that if you study hard, you can do anything," said LeBlanc. "I can’t think of a better way to validate and encourage a young person’s interest in science, technology and space exploration than an Astronaut Experience."
The seven Astronaut Experiences, as well as 36 lots of rare space artifacts and astronaut memorabilia representing every era of manned spaceflight, will be on the auction block until 10 p.m. (EDT) on March 15, 2013. Winning bids, over fair market value, may be considered a charitable donation.
Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, which aids the United States in retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships to exceptional college students pursuing degrees in these fields. Astronaut Scholarships are the largest monetary awards given to undergraduate science, engineering, technology and mathematics students in the U.S. based solely on merit. To date, ASF has awarded $3.5 million to deserving students nationwide.
PaddockTalk Perspective
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