Step2 Presents Corvette Bedroom Set to National Corvette Museum

Step2 donation for museum's KidZone also includes items supporting childhood developmental skills

The Step2® Company has donated a number of items to the National Corvette Museum just in time for the upcoming ribbon cutting of the museum's new KidZone.

“We are thrilled to support the National Corvette Museum in the opening of its new KidZone,” said Jerry McDermott, chief marketing officer, Step2® Holdings. “Now, families can enjoy an array of our developmental products while learning about the history and making of the Corvette.”

The donated Step2 Corvette bedroom set includes the bed with working lights, a room organizer, storage chest and dresser, all in the signature Corvette red complete with the Corvette logo.

Along with the bedroom set, Step2 has donated other items from their toy line that encourage fine, social and gross motor skills in children. The Art Studio for Two, Extreme Coaster, Easy Steer Sportster and 50’s Diner are just a few of the items donated totaling close to $3,000.

“The Step2 Corvette Bed is already a hit with our Corvette enthusiasts, so we’re sure that our young museum visitors will enjoy lounging on the bed to watch children’s videos during their visit,” said Katie Frassinelli, marketing manager, National Corvette Museum. “We are so appreciative of Step2 for donating this unique item as well as such attention-grabbing products for the KidZone. Families will enjoy all the great, new hands-on activities for kids.”

Step2's new Corvette bed is modeled after the Z06 featuring silver rims and realistic details (MSRP $299). The upgraded Corvette Bed with Lights™ comes equipped with working headlights that turn on with a tap (MSRP $329). The bed was designed to grow with the child providing a molded insert for a crib mattress, and once the child is ready for a larger mattress it may be replaced with a twin size. When the crib mattress is in place, children will enjoy the built-in racetrack in either model. The bed is comfortable for children ages two to 10.

The ribbon cutting ceremony for the KidZone is scheduled for Thursday, August 30 at 3:30 p.m. Central Time at the National Corvette Museum.


About the National Corvette Museum:
The National Corvette Museum is a member-driven, non-profit foundation dedicated to educating the public through the preservation of the Corvette’s past, present and future heritage. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, the Museum is located at Exit 28 off I-65 in Bowling Green, KY. Learn more at www.corvettemuseum.org.

About The Step2® Company:
The Step2® Company includes the brands Step2® and Infantino® which foster learning and development through creative play in children from birth to school-age years. Based in Streetsboro, Ohio, Step2® is the largest American manufacturer of preschool and toddler toys, and the world’s largest rotational molder of children’s and home products, including children’s play kitchens, playhouses, outdoor toys and ride on toys, as well as home products such as mailboxes, gardening aids and trash cans. Learn more at www.Step2.com.

September 11, 2001: A Global Moment Exhibit Opens

National Corvette Museum Welcomes Temporary Display from the New York State Museum in Conjunction with the 11th Anniversary of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks

September 11, 2001 was an attack on the world. Within a few hours 2,974 people from 80 countries were killed in New York, Washington DC, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In the years since, many people have had a powerful need to know what happened, and reflect about how that day changed us.
While these horrific events hurt us deeply, they also served to remind us of the way that we come together in times of tragedy and adversity as a nation. In the wake of this evil, we were reminded of the willpower, strength and resolve that continue to define us as a country.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001: A GLOBAL MOMENT

From August 4 - October 28, 2012, the National Corvette Museum will host a traveling exhibit based on the permanent exhibition The World Trade Center: Rescue, Recovery, Response housed at the State Museum in Albany, New York. Incorporating World Trade Center artifacts, personal objects from victims and survivors, pieces of aircraft and items documenting the international response, visitors will have an opportunity to see for themselves the reminders of the event that connects us all.

This exhibition begins with a look back at the world before 9/11 and then takes guests through the moments that none of us can forget. Through photographs and artifacts we remember and honor those we lost. The exhibit then covers the response and recovery efforts that would mark this pivotal moment in history.

SPECIAL GUEST PRESENTATION

There will be a special guest presentation on August 31, at 10:00 a.m. and on September 1, at 9:00 a.m. featuring Wesley Wong. Mr. Wong served as Special Agent of the FBI since 1976 and was the senior FBI on-scene commander at Ground Zero. In his 1-hour, 15-minute presentation, Mr. Wong shares personal accounts of that day, iconic imagery and stories from the aftermath. His moving presentation honors the memory of the many lives lost.

EXHIBIT INFORMATION

Make plans to come to this special exhibit and get the word out to others who might be interested in this powerful history lesson to us all. For more information visit us at www.corvettemuseum.org.
The Museum is open daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at I-65 exit 28. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for kids age 6 to 16, free for children 5 and under or $25 for Family admission (everyone in the same household).

Special pricing is available for groups of 15 or more, including student groups, clubs, church groups and more. To reserve your group visit, please contact the Museum Admissions Department at 270-467-8808.

2012 Corvette Production Numbers Released

The General Motors Bowling Green Assembly Plant has released their production figures for the 2012 Model Year Corvette. A total of 11,647 Corvettes were produced: 24.4% were base coupes, 5.3% were base convertibles, 43.4% were Grand Sport Coupes, 19.5% were Grand Sport Convertibles, 4.1% were Z06s and 3.5% were ZR1s.

Of the ten colors offered in 2012, Torch Red knocked black from the top spot with 19.5% or 2,266 cars. Carbon Flash Metallic (this year’s only ‘black’) was in close second with 18.9% or 2,201 cars. The order of popularity for the remaining colors was: Blade Silver, Arctic White, Crystal Red Metallic, Cyber Gray, Supersonic Blue, Velocity Yellow, Carlisle Blue and Inferno Orange.

The addition of navigation to the 3LT package proved to be successful as 47.3% or 5,510 of the cars built had this option.

The Centennial Edition Package was quite popular with 18.9% of the cars having this feature, while 8.9% of the Grand Sports had the Heritage Package.

Only six buyers opted for the Customer Selectable VIN, while 12 completed the Corvette Engine Build Experience. The National Corvette Museum was fortunate to welcome 181 Corvettes as part of the R8C Museum Delivery option.

View and download the complete list of 2012 production figures on our website at http://www.corvettemuseum.org/.

National Corvette Museum Partners with Local Friends and Family Group to Collect Donations

The Corvette community is about more than just cars... it's also about philanthropy and supporting those in need. After the wave of tornados hit and devastated many communities in Kentucky, our Corvette family has come forward, asking how to help.

After looking for opportunities to chip in with other area relief efforts the Museum is partnering with a group of friends and family, organized by Jason & Donna Bennett, and Lacy & Kevin Harrod of Bowling Green, who have direct connections to the communities in need, to collect and deliver items.

The items will be transported to communities surrounding West Liberty including Crockitt, Lawrence County, Marysville, Henryville and East Bernstadt this Saturday, March 10 and again next Saturday, March 17.

Collection Location and Times:
The Museum has a collection box in the lobby and items can be dropped off seven days a week, 8am-5pm.

The group will also be setup tonight (Thursday, March 8) at Greenwood High School on Scottsville Road beginning at 5pm, and Friday, March 9 at Warren East High School beginning at 5pm.

Suggested Items

• baby items (diapers, formula, baby food, wipes)


• canned goods, packaged food


• batteries, flashlights,


• toiletries


• lates gloves, trashbags

The Museum is located at 350 Corvette Drive, just off I-65 exit 28.

Cash Donations & Volunteer Opportunities
The area is also in need of cash and volunteers. If you are willing to donate or help out, visit http://kyem.ky.gov/donationsvolunteers/Pages/default.aspx to signup. This website also has a list of agencies that can accept cash donations online.

For more information:
Katie Frassinelli, Marketing and Communications Manager
National Corvette Museum
270-467-8846 800-538-3883 x146 or katie@corvettemuseum.org

Jason And Donna Bennett, Local Relief Collection Organizers
jayandonna@insightbb.com, 270-799-7064

Lacy Harrod, Local Relief Collection Organizer
lacyharrodwku07@gmail.com, 270-799-0683

New Powder Puff Mechanics Course Offered Saturday

Taking your vehicle in for repairs or maintenance can be an intimidating thing, especially when you might not have much experience in knowing what your car may or may not need done to it. The National Corvette Museum has developed a course to help consumers become more educated when buying parts and services for their vehicle.

Women especially can feel overwhelmed when they bring their vehicle in for servicing. “A car is a major, significant expense in the lives of most people and it’s just as important for women to know how to have their car serviced properly as it is for men,” said Roc Linkov, a Senior High Performance Driving Instructor for the Museum. Roc is also an instructor for the new Powder Puff Mechanics course and adds that it teaches women to be knowledgeable about their vehicle and provides them with information to help them keep their cars in running condition.

A shortened version of the course was offered at many of the Museum’s Corvette events, and was so popular it was decided to further expand the content and open it up to the public. The course will be held on Saturday, February 11 from 10am-2pm. The sessions cover topics including “under the hood” (air filters, how to check and fill fluids), controls and warning lights, owner’s manual review, tires (how to change a flat, check tire pressure, add air, read tire codes, identify wear patterns) and much more.

In addition to instructional and hands-on seminars covering care of cars, the course will also give attendees a chance to learn and practice what to do in emergency situations like tire blow out, using the NCM’s two state-of-the-art driving simulators. “Our simulators give people the chance to practice what to do in various scenarios on the road, ones you can’t safely practice in real life,” said NCM Education Coordinator Jackie Utzler. “We have launched the new NCM Drivers’ Safety Academy, offering a number of courses for both teens and older drivers to help make our roads and drivers safer. Powder Puff Mechanics will give people a taste of what the simulators have to offer.”

Registration for the course is only $10 for students (including college) and $12 for adults and includes the seminars, lunch and Museum admission. Participants are asked to pre-register online by Friday, February 10 at www.corvettemuseum.org/simulators. Girl Scouts can earn a patch for attending when they register through the local Girl Scout office at 270-842-6137.

For more information about Powder Puff Mechanics and the NCM Drivers’ Safety Academy, call 270-467-8852 or visit www.corvettemuseum.org/simulators.

Corvette Museum Lifetime Member Establishes Education Endowment

Lifetime Museum Member Eugene Nagowski shares his good fortune with the less fortunate and hopes to inspire other Corvette owners to do the same.

Eugene Nagowski never had any children of his own, but a few minutes around him is enough to confirm that he is something of a big kid himself. He loves life and likes to have fun in his 2010 Chevrolet Corvette, but his real joy comes from spreading happiness to others.

“I’ve been very fortunate,” the Texas resident says. “I was married for 44 years to the perfect person and with her, every day was special. How many people can say that?”

Since his wife Patricia passed away in 2009, Eugene has set out to honor her memory by being good to others. He’s donated money to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to help with medical care and the expenses of families staying there for treatment. “There really is no feeling like the one you get when you hear from a child who has been given some joy in the middle of all that suffering.” Eugene said.

“I’m an out-of-the-box kind of thinker,” Eugene added, “so it occurred to me that the Corvette Museum could give a lot of joy to underprivileged kids, too. Kids need fun in their lives and a reason to get excited. What’s more exciting than Corvettes? If a kid could come to the Museum, enjoy a day there and get away from it all, that could make a big difference in their life.”

Toward that end, Eugene has made a donation to establish an endowment and made a commitment to add to the endowment by July 2012. He hopes that his generosity will inspire other Corvette owners to band together and grow this endowment to help others.

“If every Corvette owner would just give a dollar, there would be enough seed money to where the interest alone could fund all kinds of good work. For those able to do more, they should do more to help this happen.” Eugene hopes that the fund can do other great things, like bring in kids from families who couldn’t otherwise afford it to enjoy a day of fun at the Museum and even pay for wheelchairs for use in the Museum by special needs children. He wants everyone to know that the Corvette community cares.

For more information on the National Corvette Museum’s Education Endowment and programs offered for children, visit www.corvettemuseum.org/kids.

It's a Nano World Exhibit Opens at the Corvette Museum

January 14 the National Corvette Museum welcomes a special traveling exhibition from the Ithaca, New York Sciencenter entitled “It’s a Nano World.” The exhibit introduces children and their families to the biological wonders of the nano world and inspires curiosity, creating a context for future learning about nanobiotechnology.

The hands-on exhibit’s focus is on the “adventures” of very tiny things and demonstrates the tools scientists use to see them. At the ‘Magnification Station’ visitors can use microscopes of different strengths to look at items such as shells, paper, sand and hair. Children can become larger than life at the ‘Giant Magnifying Glass’ and can learn about the effects of small things in the air while playing ‘germ, dust and pollen pinball.’ There is also a ‘Giant Blood Drop’ represented by a large pit filled with over one thousand red balls (red blood cells) and the challenge is to hunt for the few fluffy white balls (white blood cells).

“This will be the third year in a row that we’ve brought in a special exhibit during this time period,” said Katie Frassinelli, Marketing and Communications Manager. “Your ticket into the Museum gives you access to both Corvettes and this hands-on children’s science exhibit… it’s like two in one!”

The exhibit will officially kick off on Saturday, January 21 with Family Fun day, offering free activities in the Museum’s Conference Center from noon-3pm.

The exhibit is funded in part by a sponsorship from PNC Bank. “PNC has developed a program called ‘Grow Up Great’ which helps prepare children for success in school and life, especially underserved children,” said Katie. “This will be our second exhibit to work with PNC on, and this year we are bringing in all of the Bowling Green Headstart children as part of their sponsorship to give them the opportunity to enjoy the exhibit.”

Through Grow Up Great, PNC supports families, educators and community partners to provide innovative opportunities that enhance learning and development in a child’s early years. Research shows that children who participate in high-quality preschool programs are far more likely to experience greater educational achievements, strive toward higher vocational aspirations and contribute to society later in life. Their website, http://www.pncgrowupgreat.com/ offers a number of great Sesame Street themed activities, downloads and information.

"We’re excited to bring this hands-on exhibit to Bowling Green,” said Kevin Carrico, PNC Regional Manager. “PNC’s Grow Up Great program offers educational opportunities to children everywhere, and It's a Nano World has activities families not only from south central Kentucky can enjoy, but also the many visitors who pass through our wonderful community.”

In addition to PNC’s commitment the Museum is seeking businesses and individuals to sponsor classrooms and schools that might not otherwise get the opportunity to take a field trip. The “Fund-A-Fieldtrip” program has the potential to increase the number of visitors to the Museum while providing kids with a fun, educational learning opportunity outside the classroom walls. Classroom sponsorships are $300 and include a number of recognition benefits. Contact Katie at 270-467-8846 or katie@corvettemuseum.org to find out how you can sponsor a classroom.

Admission to the Museum and Exhibit(Regular admission price includes the exhibit)
$10 for adults
$5 for kids age 6-16
$8 for seniors
$25 family admission (everyone in a household)
$4 student groups age 6-16
$3 student groups age 3-5
(1 free teacher/leader with every 10 students, bus drivers free)

Discount tickets to the exhibit are available at Bowling Green and Smiths Grove branches of PNC Bank, and PNC Bank customers may simply show a bank card to purchase discount tickets at the Museum.

Hours & LocationOpen seven days a week, 8am-5pm CT
350 Corvette Drive, just off I-65 exit 28.
The exhibit is open January 14 - April 15, 2012

Learn more about this and other educational programs offered by the Museum online at www.corvettemuseum.org/exhibits/nanoworld.shtml.

For more information on the National Corvette Museum, visit our website at: http://www.corvettemuseum.org/ or call (800) 53-VETTE (83883).

Family Fun DaySaturday, January 21 - 12-3pm
The exhibit will officially kick off on Saturday, January 21 with Family Fun day, offering free activities in the Museum’s Conference Center from noon-3pm. Activities include an indoor inflatable, face painting, arts and crafts activities, games, vendor booths and more. The first 50 kids to attend will receive FREE admission to the Museum and Nano World exhibit!


Character BreakfastSaturday, January 21 - 8-11am
Kid Stuff Around Town, a local nonprofit organization who matches youth volunteers with opportunities, is hosting a "Character Breakfast" in conjunction with Family Fun Day. The breakfast will give families the opportunity to dine with various "characters" including Big Red, Yogi Bear and Boo Boo, Cinderella, Iggy, Licky, Axel the Hot Rods Bear and many others. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased online at:http://www.kidstuffaroundtown.com/.