DAYTON, Washington USA — The Blue Mountain Rocketeers Youth Model Rocketry Club of Dayton, Washington is pleased to announce an exciting fund-raising raffle event. Beginning today, BMR will be raffling off an 11 x 17 October Sky movie poster, autographed in gold ink by none other than Homer Hickam, Jr.!

That’s right, the author of the New York Times best selling book "Rocket Boys", Homer Hickam, Jr. has personally autographed this poster. Rocket Boys is the heartwarming autobiography detailing Hickams’ rocketry-related exploits in the tiny coal mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia and his rise from a certain destiny in the coal mines to become an engineer working for NASA. The book was recently made into the very popular Universal Studios movie "October Sky", which has achieved cult-status among many rocketry enthusiasts around the world.

"Homer, his wife Linda and I have been corresponding via e-mail for over a year now", BMR’s Adult Advisor Tim Quigg related. "A feature article entitled "Success With Juniors" detailing the organizational structure and youth programs of the Blue Mountain Rocketeers was recently published in Sport Rocketry Magazine. Reading this article, both Homer and Linda arrived at a novel idea to raise money to continue our work introducing boys and girls to the hobby of model rocketry", Quigg advised.

Quigg received an e-mail several weeks ago from Linda Terry Hickam, commending him for his work with youth in model rocketry. She advised that both she and Homer felt Quigg and the group deserved an October Sky movie poster in recognition of the work being done.

Several days later, a mailing tube arrived at Quigg’s residence from Homer and Linda containing three October Sky posters! One was a large theatre marquee movie poster personally autographed to the Blue Mountain Rocketeers, a second smaller poster was autographed personally to Quigg, and a third was signed, "Aim High: Homer H. Hickam, Jr." A note attached to this third poster requested that Quigg use it as an award, or as a raffle to raise money for the group. The club members agreed that a raffle would raise much needed funds for the group.

Again, this beautiful 11 x 17 October Sky movie poster, autographed by Homer H. Hickam, Jr. in gold jell-ink has been professionally and beautifully framed, matted and sealed behind conservation glass by Wenaha Art Gallery of Dayton, Washington. Raffle tickets will be sold for $1.00 each, with a maximum of $20.00 per person.

The drawing for the poster will be conducted at the BMR "Rocktoberfest!" launch on October 21. Persons need not be present to win, and the poster will be shipped free of charge to the lucky winner anywhere within the continental United States. Persons living outside the continental U.S. will have to make arrangements for shipping and handling.

Those persons wishing to purchase raffle tickets may do so by sending a check or money order payable to the Blue Mountain Rocketeers to:

The Blue Mountain Rocketeers
111 West Brooklyn Avenue
Dayton, WA 99328-1010