Fair to raise funds for astronaut statue

A community fair this Saturday will help raise money for a statue honoring Lt. Col. Michael P. Anderson, the Spokane astronaut killed in the Columbia Space Shuttle explosion.

The fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Avista’s front lawn, 1411 E. Mission Ave. Avista employees will staff booths to sell garage-sale type items, with all proceeds donated to the Michael P. Anderson Memorial Statue Fund. A disc jockey from Unified Groove Merchants record store will provide music, and fairgoers can take rides in an Avista bucket truck. Items for sale will include commemorative T-shirts, lapel pins, and a special coffee blend.

Outside vendors can rent a booth for $20. The rent will go to the statue fund, and sales proceeds can be kept by the vendor. To rent a booth, call 495-2596.

Employees hope to raise $125,000 for a bronze statue of Anderson to be placed at a proposed science center in Riverfront Park. Donations can be mailed to: Michael P. Anderson Memorial Statue Fund, Sacred Heart Medical Center Foundation, P.O. Box 2555, Spokane, WA 99220. Donations also can be made by credit card by calling 474-4917.

For more information, or to see a sketch of the statue, go to www.michaelandersonmemorial

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