BRUNSWICK — A class of 25 eighth-graders at Brunswick Junior High School has been invited to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to witness the June 13 launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour.
Now the class needs money to get there.
The students are trying to raise $13,000 for a trip that would not only give them a chance to tour the facility and watch a shuttle launch, but also to witness history. Endeavour will be carrying Chris Cassidy of York, Maine’s first astronaut.
The students are part of Diane Bowen’s astrobiology class, a pilot program designed to raise aspirations of students in science, technology, engineering and math. The hands-on class explores concepts in biology, physics, chemistry and earth- and space-based science.
So far the students have raised $5,000 through a series of bottle drives, a car wash, bake sale and a yard sale.
Their final push will come on Saturday, May 16, when they hold a spaghetti dinner and auction at the Masonic Lodge at 65 Baribeau Drive. The dinner begins at 5 p.m. and the live auction will take place at 7 p.m.
All proceeds from the event will go toward the trip, which is also scheduled to include a visit to the Astronaut Hall of Fame and lunch with an astronaut.
The auction will include thousands of dollars of items donated by local businesses, including a kayak, a Casco Bay sailing map, Maine State Music Theatre tickets, Boston Red Sox tickets, Portland Sea Dogs tickets, Portland Pirates tickets, a health club membership, $500 worth of dental service and gift certificates to restaurants and businesses.
The auction is free, while admission to the spaghetti dinner is $10 per adult and $5 for children under age 10. Tickets to the dinner are available at astrobiologytrip.org or by contacting Meredith Sciacca at 841-6288 or mjsciacca@gmail.com.
Tickets are also available at the door.
Donations by check, payable to the Brunswick School Department, can be sent to Cindy Stevens, c/o of Brunswick Junior High School, 65 Columbia Ave., Brunswick, ME 04011.
For more information visit astrobiologytrip.org.
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