Over the years, I collected all of the Space Shuttle mission patches for each launch….all 135 of them. I wanted to make them into something that would celebrate the program, represent my own career, and remember the loss of Challenger and Columbia. Putting this quilt together brought back many wonderful memories.
My quilt was completed near the end of the Shuttle Program. I shared it with the workforce and enjoyed everyone sharing special memories of their favorite missions. This was exciting, special and very emotional. This quilt is never out of my sight and whenever someone requests it for display, I always deliver it personally.
I recently had the pleasure of displaying my quilt at the kickoff of Columbia: the Mission Continues National Tour. It was an honor to have my quilt on display greeting employees when they came in for the presentation. My bucket list included a picture of my quilt with one of the astronauts, Shane Kimbrough. I have checked that box!”
Vicky Turner, IT Professional – Help Desk Analyst
Astronaut Shane Kimbrough with quilt. 
NASA and Space Shuttle patch 
Various shuttle patches 
The quilt!
A Brush with Greatness!
The Saturn V Rocket at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville is a treasured landmark for our community, but was showing the toll from 20 years of being outside. At the end of 2018, the “Revive the Saturn V” campaign was launched. Thanks to a generous donation from our CEO, Ernie Wu, one lucky ERC employee was able to help put on the finishing coat of paint.
Ruby Stevens, from our Business Development team, was the lucky winner! With paint and brush in hand, Ruby climbed onboard a lift that took her to the lower section of the rocket, a height of approximately 40 – 45 feet. So thank you Ernie and Ruby for helping to restore our rocket…and just in time for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon mission!Ruby is ready to paint!Ruby in action way up in the air.
Ruby is ready to paint! 
Ruby in action way up in the air!
IRES COS folks enjoying golf for a good cause!
ERC has been a long-time supporter of the National Children’s Advocacy Center, an organization founded in Huntsville, dedicated to providing training, prevention, and treatment services to fight child abuse and neglect. When the opportunity surfaced to support Safe Passage, the local Children’s Advocacy Center in Colorado Springs, ERC was all-in with 2 teams coming out for a day of golf and fun. A big thank you to the golfers that took time out of their schedules to represent ERC…and a fine looking group they were!
