District Grant Project in Marion Is Fun For Kids
With the 50th Anniversary of the Marion-East Cedar Rapids Rotary Club and humanity’s first steps on the moon, the Club inspired by the Arthur A. Collins Legacy Association set out to recognize those achievements as well as to inspire youth to explore careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math by developing a fun interactive art project on the Lowe Park Art Walk.
The project commemorates the historic first transmission of an image by Collins Radio by bouncing a signal off the orbiting Echo Satellite from the Echo Hill Station, near Lowe Park, to the Collins’ facility in Richardson, Texas, on August 20, 1960. This accomplishment led to the future ability to communicate with and track manned space flights, including the moon landing, as well as the development of deep space satellites and GPS. Citizens of our local communities provided the knowledge and technical skills to accomplish these advances. The Club raised funds providing three, 8-foot granite tablets telling the history, science and legacy of those who made it possible.
There are also two, 8-foot diameter parabolic dishes, 100 feet apart. The 100 feet represents the diameter of the Echo satellite. A person can whisper into one dish and another person can hear it at the other dish. The third piece of the interactive art project is a replica of the Echo Satellite. It is a 6-foot diameter stainless steel globe located near the dishes.
On Tuesday, May 4, at 11:00 AM, the Marion-East Cedar Rapids Rotary Club will dedicate its “Echo Hill Station” Lowe Park Art Walk project. The public is welcome.
Contact Information:
Erik Miles, Project Chair
Rotary Club of Marion-East Cedar Rapids
(319) 373-4139
Final Report on Rotary Rush
Thanks to each of you who took advantage of the Rotary Rush opportunity! The final results show that 50 Rotarians from 20 different clubs participated, resulting in $19,369 of new gifts to the Annual Fund of The Rotary Foundation. Your ongoing support means so much!
Update from Global Scholar Rebecca Draus
Becca has been busy with her studies at the University of Strathclyde and with her Rotary activities in Scotland. Check out her latest update
here.
District Foundation Chair