‘Imiloa launches essay, drawing contests asking island keiki what the Apollo 11 moon mission means to them

Fifty years to the day after NASA Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took mankind’s first steps on the moon, the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center hosted a day of special moon-themed activities celebrating the historic July 20, 1969, moon landing.

More than 600 community members and keiki turned out for the event, which featured livestreamed presentations from the Lunar & Planetary Institute in Houston, hourly planetarium programs, and science craft activity stations in the Exhibit Hall organized with the help of local observatory staff.

While the moon landing anniversary was already marked, there is still a way for keiki to win some amazing prizes by participating in a contest ‘Imiloa launched to document the significance of the Apollo moon mission to local young people.

The competition includes an essay-writing contest for keiki in grades 6-12 and a drawing contest for children in grades K-5.

Two winners will be selected in each age category.

Each of the winners of the essay contest will receive a 1,969-piece LEGO Saturn V moon rocket kit, made available thanks to a generous donation from longtime ‘Imiloa member and supporter Norman Pi‘ianai‘a of Waimea.

The winners of the drawing contest will each receive a package of NASA gear, including a youth-size NASA T-shirt, a NASA helmet and drawstring bag, plus a kit to construct a hand generator.

All submissions for both categories must be received by 5 p.m. Aug. 3.

For details about the contests and how to enter, visit www.imiloahawaii.org. For more information, email imiloa.marketing@hawaii.edu.

‘Imiloa Astronomy Center is located at 600 ‘Imiloa Place in Hilo at the University of Hawaii at Hilo Science and Technology Park.