When Mechanicville, NY Chapter Leader, Dayle Gruder learned of the Columbia disaster, this is what she wrote after speaking with Space Coast Binky Chapter Leader – Liz Casper of Cocoa Beach, FL:
“The binkies were made by the schoolchildren who drew pictures and helped sew and iron the rows. She needed 19 and I had 18. So, I got a donation for shipping from a
kind person (sic) in my state agency and sent them off. Did I tell you that my area’s binkies are going to the Space Shuttle families? I was so saddened when I heard the news and it helped to be able to comfort the families. That’s what this binky business is all about.”
Within 5 minutes of the Columbia tragedy being broadcast, Space Coast Binky Patrol knew that it was in a unique position and needed to find some way to get binkies to the families of the Columbia.
Chapter Area Coordinator, Liz Casper writes, “Dayle Gruder from the Mechanicville, NY chapter helped out with patriotic binkies she had from a local effort in her community. I am glad I went that route because the binkies she had were so much more appropriate than what I had left in our inventory. The binkies have been
delivered to NASA here at KSC.
NASA really loved the binkies and the story about how they made their way down here from our NY chapter. They are planning on running a story about everything they have received for the astronaut families and plan on featuring the binkies.
Here a picture of the binkies in the lobby of the NASA Headquarters building here at KSC and a pic of the ladies in the Astronaut Relations office showing off the binkies.
Once again we’ve pulled our efforts together to remind us that we are all neighbors, it just takes a while to visit each other!
Liz Casper
Boeing Rocketdyne
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