Press Release from Beads of Courage

I received this in an email today from Jean Baruch at Beads of Courage — what a thrill!
It’s my first ‘official’ press release ever!

*Ontario** Artist’s Work to Be Launched on NASA’s Next Space Shuttle
Mission*

* Tucson, Ariz. – (April 29, 2010)* Hand-crafted glass beads, created by
Ontario artist Louise Ingram, were selected by Beads of Courage to go to
space and back on NASA’s next Space Shuttle mission. Her inventive space
monkey beads are part of Beads of Courage and NASA’s /Beads in Space/
project. The STS-132 mission is scheduled to launch on May 14, 2010.

The Beads in Space project is the brainchild of Jamie Newton, an
employee at the Marshall Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Newton’s
daughter has been battling cancer and is a participant in the Beads of
Courage program. He pursued this idea in hopes to raise awareness about
Beads of Courage and the work the organization does helping children
undergoing medical treatment.

Beads of Courage hosted a contest for glass bead makers around the world
to enter their artwork for consideration in the Beads in Space project.
Out of —54 beads entered, 17 were selected from nine different
artists. The 17 beads weigh precisely eight ounces, the maximum allowed
by NASA for the flight. Upon their return, the winning beads will be
returned to Beads of Courage.

Monkeys have been one of Ingram’s main inspirations since she began
making beads in 2007 because of their mischievous reputation, allowing
her endless creative possibilities. She crafted her first Space Monkey
bead in 2008 and so when she heard about /Beads in Space/, she
immediately felt connected to the project. She hopes that her three
beads will bring a smile to children’s faces.

“We are very grateful for the dedication and enthusiasm of our artists,
not just in this special programs but every day of the year. Without
their help Beads of Courage just wouldn’t exist,” said Jean Baruch,
director of Beads of Courage. “We are very fortunate to be given the
opportunity to work with NASA to send such fine artwork into space. This
mission will bring inspiration to the many children and their families
battling serious illnesses.”

Beads of Courage is a non-profit organization, based in Tucson, Ariz.,
focused on arts-in-medicine programs geared toward helping children cope
with serious illnesses. Patients are given beads to represent
significant treatment milestones during their journey. Beads of Courage
programs have helped thousands of children and their families at over 60
hospitals. More information is available at www.beadsofcourage.org.