National Reach for the Stars Contest Winners Announced!
Released on: October 16, 2008, 3:37 pm
Press Release Author: Jack Colpas co-director / Helping Kids Reach for the Stars
Industry: Education
Press Release Summary: Winners announced in the national Reach for the Stars Rocket Contest. Awards Celebration is to be held at the Astronaut Hall of Fame / Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex during the Space and Air Show November 8th and 9th.
Press Release Body: Deadlines have passed in the year long Reach for the Stars Rocket Contest. All entries in the national competition have been tabulated. Winners have been determined at all three levels in this challenging spot-landing event. The Level 1 winner is Lusanda Pierre of Orlando, Florida. At Level 2 was Harley Francis of Colorado Springs, Colorado and John Lee from Tallahassee, Florida won Level 3.
During the local phase of the competition, contestants were required to build and launch a solid-fuel powered rocket. Lusanda flew a Firehawk, Harley chose an Alpha III rocket. John competed with the Alpha. All models are from Estes, recognized as the world leader in educational rocketry. To win the local event contestants had to have the closest average landing to a target after two launches. The local winner's information was forwarded to contest headquarters to be compared to all other entries during this year long competition. The contest promotes the Helping Kids Reach for the Stars Program - an educational outreach of the Christa McAuliffe / Challenger Education Center.
The national winners get to celebrate on Nov. 8th and 9th by receiving their trophies and launching their rockets at the prestigious Astronaut Hall of Fame in Titusville, Florida. They will continue their celebration at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex during the Space and Air Show. The three winners will have a personal tour of the Hall of Fame and visit the Astronaut Memorial to receive a Space Shuttle Challenger commemorative coin signed by Christa McAuliffe's mother, Grace Corrigan. They also get to ride the Shuttle Launch Experience, see the US Navy Blue Angels in action and more.
Tickets to the Astronaut Hall of Fame and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for winners and their families where provided by DNC Parks and Resorts. Lodging and breakfast are compliments of the award winning Country Inns and Suites of Cocoa Beach. Without the generosity of these companies, this winners' celebration would not be possible.
Level 1 national winner Lucanda Pierre is a 10 year old rocketeer. She competed at Rock Lake Elementary School in Orlando, Florida. The Reach for the Stars Rocket Contest was hosted there by Science Lab Teacher, John Giles.
Coaching by Team America Rocketry Challenge mentor, Dr. Warren Layfield was the key to a win at Level 2 by Harley Francis, a rocketeer from the Colorado Springs Rocket Society. Layfield is the Educational Director at COSROCS and has taken teams to the national TARC finals. Dr. Layfield considers the Reach for the Stars Rocket Contest to be a "perfect training ground for kids who will go on to more challenging competitions like TARC and NASA's Student Launch Initiative.
Top honors in Level 3 were taken by John Lee who competed at the Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee, Florida. The competition there was hosted by Camp Director, Harry Hawbecker and Flight Director, Weldon Gray.
The contest presents a fantastic opportunity to young rocketeers. Contest directors Jack and Kathy Colpas boast that, "national winners receive memories to last a lifetime and bragging rights for generations to come." For more details about the Reach for the Stars Rocket Contest and the Space and Air Show go to www.TheRocketman.net.
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