Rick Abramson, President and Chief Operating Officer of Delaware North Parks Services of
Spaceport, Inc., will be honored as this year’s winner of the Dr. Kurt H. Debus Award from the National Space Club Florida
Committee.
The award will be presented May 17, 2002 at a formal dinner hosted at the Debus Conference Center, which is located at the Kennedy
Space Center Visitor Complex. The event will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m. EDT, followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m. EDT.
Former astronaut Gene Cernan – a veteran of four spaceflights that included command of Apollo 17, the most recent lunar landing
mission – will be the featured speaker at the black tie-optional dinner ceremony.
First given in 1990, the award was created to recognize significant achievements and contributions made in Florida to the American
aerospace effort. It is named for the Kennedy Space Center’s first Director, Dr. Kurt H. Debus.
Abramson is being recognized for his outstanding personal and professional efforts in supporting the U.S. space program by helping
to educate and inspire the millions of guests who visit the Kennedy Space Center each year. As this year’s chairman of the National
Space Club Florida Committee, upon his nomination, Abramson did not participate in the Steering Committee’s selection process for
the Debus Award.
The general public is welcome to attend. Tickets are $50 for club members and $60 for non-members. Corporate tables are available
for $500. Reservations may be made by contacting Sandy Andre at 321-749-8291 or going online to submit a form at
http://www.nationalspaceclubflorida.org.
The National Space Club is a non-profit corporation composed of representatives of industry, government, educational institutions
and private individuals who share a commitment to increasing public awareness of America’s aerospace programs.
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Contact: Jim Banke, 321-868-6288 or jbanke@hq.space.com
