NASA’s Spaceship 2040 to be centerpiece of hospital Fete.
By: David Campbell
Planners of the 51st annual June Fete have come up with a stellar theme for their summertime fund-raising event: the 2004 Rocket Fete.
Fete organizers unveiled the theme at a luncheon held Wednesday in the 1956 Lounge atop the Princeton University Stadium, the concourse of which will be the site of the event this year.
This is a departure for the annual daylong event, which for more than 20 years had been held at the university’s Washington Road athletic fields in West Windsor.
In keeping with the spirit of exploration surrounding the event as it embarks on its second half-century in a new locale, this year’s fete co-chairs, Karen Fein-Kelly and Jody Erdman, have worked for several months with NASA as they developed the 2004 Rocket Fete theme.
Proceeds from the fete will support the development of the University Medical Center at Princeton’s Breast Health Center.
A centerpiece of the fete this year will be NASA’s Spaceship 2040, a traveling exhibit created by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. When fete-goers step into the exhibit, Ms. Erdman said, it will be like stepping aboard a commercial starship to take a voyage in 2040.
The exhibit presents NASA’s vision of future civilian space travel. Scientists and engineers with the space agency and possibly even an astronaut or two will be on hand to help attendees explore this bold vision.
"We wanted to choose a theme that was exciting and challenging to the community, and one that would unite numerous schools in the area, the university, the Medical Center and surrounding communities on many different levels," Ms. Erdman said.
Fete organizers are planning outreach to area schools that will play on the NASA-related theme this year, the co-chair said.
Betsy Sands, president of University Medical Center at Princeton Auxiliary, which holds the annual fund-raiser, said she and fellow auxiliary volunteers are thrilled about the 2004 Rocket Fete.
"We’re very excited about the whole thing," Ms. Sands said. "It’s very cool, and it couples with an exciting new location.
"The fete co-chairs are explorers themselves," the auxiliary president continued. "They were willing to take a chance and move us forward beyond where we’ve been."
In the past, the auxiliary’s summer fund-raiser has been held at the university’s Washington Road athletic fields. But heavy rains in recent years have wreaked havoc with parking and caused damage to the sports fields.
This year’s festivities are scheduled to be held on the concourse at the Princeton University Stadium on June 5. The new location offers plenty of on-site parking, and a covered concourse in case of rain. Weaver Track to the south of the stadium will also be made available by the university.
The countdown is expected to begin June 4 with festivities that will include the fete auction preview and silent bidding, shopping and the annual dinner dance.
The day of the 2004 Rocket Fete continues its trajectory on June 5 with live entertainment, games for all ages, a 10K race and attractions like the "Garden Tent," a flea market and book sale, and a car raffle. This year’s raffle features a Volvo S40 generously donated by Princeton Volvo.
For more information, call the auxiliary office at (609) 497-4069. Admission to the fete is free.