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.


Web Site: http://www.TheRocketman.net

Contact Details: 1683 Siesta Drive, Sarasota, FL 34239, phone(941)955-3958, fax
(206) 350-7880, colpas1@comcast.net