Striving to increase gifted awareness and supporting Gifted & Talented (GT) Education in Lovejoy ISD, Lovejoy Gifted Association (LGA), is hosting its third annual Rocket Launch Event, beginning tomorrow.  

The non-profit organization also sponsors senior scholarships, fulfills teacher grants, and make GT resources available to the community.

“This year we celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the first person who walked on the moon,” head organizer Jeroen van Rijn said. “We received orders for 48 rockets, about evenly split between basic and advanced.”

The Rocket Launch is separated into two different events, one for constructing rockets and an event solely for launching. There will be a choice of two rocket contests, Beginner and Advanced. Rockets will be distributed for building on Wednesday, March 6, from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Sloan Creek Intermediate School cafeteria.

“If [anyone] ordered a basic rocket, they can stay and a volunteer from the Dallas Area Rocket Society (DARS) will talk them through assembling the rocket in about 45 minutes,” Rijn said. “People who ordered the advanced rocket take it home and build it at home.”

LGA is unable to ship any rockets, therefore, all rockets must be picked up in person at the build event.

“The event has one head organizer and other members of our Lovejoy Gifted Association help with promotion, setting the website and during the building and launching days,” LGA co-president Mayra Yundt-Pacheco said.

Community members will be in attendance in assistance for both events.

“We’ll have two volunteers from DARS, three Lovejoy students earning service hours and myself,” Rijn said. “Other board members may help out too.”

The Rocket Fest Build Party is free to current LGA members. A $5 admission fee per family for non-members will be charged at the entrance. Tickets for the build party were sold until Feb. 17.

“I’m most looking forward to the joy it brings to students and parents alike,” Rijn said. “It isn’t every day that you get to put together and launch your own rocket.”

Skill level will be geared toward third through sixth graders.

“Because the building process requires cutting, and following detailed instructions, adult supervision is required,” Yundt-Pacheco said.

The official launch event will be held on Sunday, March 24, the high school from 12-2 p.m. The public is welcome to bring personal rockets for the event.