Apollo Astronauts Offer a Blast in Online Charity Auction

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., March 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sip from vintage cocktails over dinner at the glamorous Beverly Hills' Polo Lounge with Apollo 11 Moonwalker Buzz Aldrin or grab a front row seat and VIP access to the action-packed Coke Zero 400 with one of only 12 men who have left footprints on the Moon. These once-in-a-lifetime opportunities are just a sampling of what several legendary astronauts are offering in the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's (ASF) online charity auction that opened today at www.AstronautScholarship.org/auction.

Pick from seven amazing Astronaut Experiences, including a private tour of Kennedy Space Center with Space Shuttle astronaut Robert Crippen and a wild safari trek through Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom with Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise.

In all, 39 auction lots are up for grabs, including an Apollo 14 beta cloth that flew to the moon, signed by Apollo Moonwalker Edgar Mitchell; a lunar map signed by 14 Apollo astronauts; and a rare autographed Alan Shepard vintage lithograph. And for anyone who's dreamed of being an astronaut, a zero gravity spacesuit worn by shuttle astronaut John Blaha on the Russian Mir Space Station is up for auction.

"The astronaut experiences offered in this auction are a great way for us astronauts to combine our hobbies with our dedication to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation," said Apollo 16 Moonwalker and ASF Chairman Charlie Duke, who is offering a Florida Keys SCUBA trip. "This auction will generate significant funds for some of the greatest young minds in our country."   

Register and bid at www.AstronautScholarship.org/auction. The online auction concludes March 17, 2012 at 10:00 p.m. EDT. Winning bids, over fair market value, should be considered a charitable donation.

Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Astronaut Scholarship Foundation who 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. ASF funds twenty-eight $10,000 scholarships annually and has awarded more than $3.2 million to students nationwide. For more information visit: www.AstronautScholarship.org.

SOURCE Astronaut Scholarship Foundation