Chabot Space & Science Center Names Clorox, Bechtel, others, "Champions of Science"

Starlight Gala Raises a Quarter of a Million for STEM Education

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At its annual Starlight Gala on September 22, Chabot Space & Science Center announced the recipients of the Center's Champion of Science Awards. Now in its second year, Chabot's Champion of Science Awards honor individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary and lasting impacts in science education and support Chabot's STEM mission. Awards are given in four categories: Foundations, Corporations, Individuals, and Educators.  Recipients of the 2012 awards include: The S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, The Clorox Company, Garrett Gruener and Amy Slater, and Norman Brooks.

The Starlight Gala is the premier fundraising event for the Center.  This year's early 60s space-age themed event was sold out at 230 guests. Emceed by Bay Area local news anchor, Gasia Mikaelian, the event raised record net proceeds of $250,023 for the Center's science education mission.

In addition to the Champion of Science Awards, the event featured honored guest 2011 Nobel Laureate Dr. Saul Perlmutter, a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and professor of Physics at U.C. Berkeley. Dr Perlmutter received the Nobel Prize in Physics, along with Brian Schmidt and Adam Reiss, for their study of exploding stars that provided evidence that the expansion of the universe is accelerating.  

Chabot's Executive Director & CEO, Alexander Zwissler, attributed the success of the event to the strong local philanthropic interest in improving STEM education.  "California ranks amongst the lowest states nationally in science literacy, but what our guests learned at the Starlight Gala were the positive successes we're seeing in our programs and the real impact we're having on students, especially among a chronically underserved demographic."

About Chabot Space & Science Center

Chabot Space & Science Center is a nonprofit science center whose mission is to inspire and educate students of all ages about Planet Earth and the Universe. Located in the Oakland hills, the Center focuses on the earth, life, physical and astronomical sciences, serving Bay Area communities through exhibits, public programs, school field trips, science camps, teacher training, teen development programs and community outreach. The Center hosts over 160,000 students and public visitors each year.

SOURCE Chabot Space & Science Center