NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Win Lunch with John Glenn in Charity Auction

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., Oct. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- One lucky winner will have the opportunity to enjoy a private lunch with Mercury and Space Shuttle astronaut John Glenn in the 9th Annual Auction of Astronaut Experiences & Memorabilia to benefit the non-profit Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF). The auction opens online tomorrow, Friday, October 28, 2011 at 9 AM EDT at www.AstronautScholarship.org/auction and features 50 lots of rare memorabilia and Astronaut Experiences like the afternoon with Glenn.

Also up for grabs is a coin containing metal from the Apollo 11 spacecraft which flew to the lunar surface, framed with an autographed photo of the second man to walk on the Moon, Buzz Aldrin, an Apollo 13 Flight Crew Training Dictionary page signed by crewmembers James Lovell and Fred Haise, a Hawaiian shirt worn in space by Shuttle astronaut George Nelson and more!

Perhaps the biggest draw though, is the chance to walk away with one of ASF's signature Astronaut Experiences. In addition to dining with Glenn, bidders can vie for seven other experiences, including a trip to the Houston Rodeo with moonwalker Charlie Duke, a Colorado mountain climbing adventure with Space Shuttle astronaut Scott Parazynski (who has climbed Mt. Everest), and a trip to picturesque Tuscany, Italy with Skylab astronaut Jerry Carr.

To participate, bidders must register for a virtual paddle number at www.AstronautScholarship.org/auction and are then eligible to bid online until the auction concludes on November 5, 2011 at 10 PM EDT. The auction will raise vital funds for ASF to provide scholarships for the best and brightest college students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math. Winning bids, over fair market value, should be considered a charitable donation.

Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. Three decades later, after serving 24 years in the U.S. Senate, he lifted off for a second space flight in 1998, aboard STS-95. At age 77, Glenn became the oldest person to travel in space. Glenn co-founded the ASF in 1984, with the 5 surviving Mercury astronauts, to aid the United States in retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships for exceptional college students. ASF funds twenty-eight $10,000 scholarships annually and has awarded $3.2 million to deserving students nationwide. Glenn still serves on the ASF's Board of Directors today.

For more information: 321-455-7012 or www.AstronautScholarship.org.

SOURCE Astronaut Scholarship Foundation