Folks, a reminder that this Friday, May 17, Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the Moon, will speak at this
year’s Kurt Debus Award Dinner sponsored by the National Space Club Florida Committee.
The Debus Award is the state of Florida’s most prestigious space-related honor, and this year it’s going to Rick Abramson, president
and chief operating officer of Delaware North Parks Services of Spaceport, Inc., the NASA contractor responsible for operating the
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Both Cernan and Abramson will be available for media interviews Friday night. We’ll put them together for about five minutes or so
about 7 p.m. Friday for a group media opportunity. A couple of requests for very brief, private interviews with Cernan will be
honored on a first come, first served basis.
You are welcome to cover the dinner program, which begins at 7:30 p.m., with Cernan speaking about 9 p.m. or so.
The event is sold out — more than 300 guests, including the Space Coast’s top aerospace leaders, are expected — so there are no
more seats available for the meal itself, but we will have some chairs set up so you can make yourself comfortable while watching
the program.
The Debus Award Dinner will be held at the Debus Conference Center, which is in the Early Space Exploration Building at the Kennedy
Space Center Visitor Complex. You will check in at the main entrance and go through security.
For questions about the Debus Award or the National Space Club Florida Committee, please contact me, Jim Banke. Additional
background information is available at http://www.nationalspaceclubflorida.org.
All news media interested in covering this event must contact Heather Strickland of Delaware North to let her know the names of
everyone who needs to get into the Debus Conference Center. Heather also will take your specific requests for Gene Cernan and
facilitate the interviews. Please call her at 321/449-4318 or page her at 321/609-2856. Her e-mail address is HStrickl@dncinc.com.
