Capt. Jon McBride: Doctors’ Goodwill Ambassador

ABOVE VIDEO:  The Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation has raised more than $1.7 million in support of charity thanks to the assistance of Capt. Jon McBride and many generous and giving special people.

Former Shuttle Pilot Supports Many Local Philanthropic Organizations

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Many retirees along the Florida Space Coast give of their time, talent and treasure to support local community organizations, but of that group, only a handful can truly say they have put some real space on the Space Coast.

The Doctors Goodwill Foundation, in collaboration with Space Coast Medicine & Active Living magazine, will present  the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards Gala on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Melbourne Hilton Rialto.
The Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation, in collaboration with Space Coast Medicine & Active Living magazine, will present the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards Gala on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Melbourne Hilton Rialto.

One such member of this elite group is retired astronaut and retired Navy Capt. Jon McBride.

Among the many philanthropic organizations this former naval aviator has supported are the American Cancer Society, Boy Scouts of America, the March of Dimes, the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and the Shawnee Hills Mental Health Group.

Prior to being selected as an astronaut in August of 1979, McBride flew 64 combat missions and logged more than 8,800 hours flying time, including 4,700 hours in jet aircraft.

RETIRED ASTRONAUT and retired Navy Capt. Jon McBride has supported the American Cancer Society, Boy Scouts of America, the March of Dimes, the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and the Shawnee Hills Mental Health Group. (Image for Space Coast Medicine & Active Living)
RETIRED ASTRONAUT and retired Navy Capt. Jon McBride has supported the American Cancer Society, Boy Scouts of America, the March of Dimes, the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and the Shawnee Hills Mental Health Group. (Image for Space Coast Medicine & Active Living)

His NASA assignments have included lead chase pilot for the maiden voyage of Columbia and capsule communicator (CAPCOM) for STS-5, STS-6, and STS-7.

McBride was pilot of STS 41-G, which launched from Kennedy Space Center on October 5, 1984 aboard the Orbiter Challenger. This, the 13th flight of the Space Shuttle program, was the first mission to carry a crew of seven and the first mission to carry two female astronauts, Sally Ride and Kathryn Sullivan.

During their eight-day mission, crew members deployed the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite.

Data on the ozone layer provided by that mission was instrumental in the international community’s decision-making process, which has resulted in a near elimination of damaging aerosol chemical use in industrialized countries.

DGF-AMBASSADOR-COVER-580-2This mission also conducted scientific observations of the earth with the maiden voyage of the NASA Large Format Camera.

The Large Format Camera was used to acquire very high resolution images of the Earth’s surface, paving the way for the detailed knowledge of the earth’s surface that we take for granted today with instant Internet access to services like Google Earth.

ICONIC DOUBLE-CRACK SONIC BOOMS

Long time Space Coast residents will remember the first shuttle landings at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility by their iconic double-crack booms as the orbiter returned below the sound barrier.

STS 41-G was one of the first few at the landing site, only in service as of February of 1984.

In May 1989, Captain McBride retired from NASA and the Navy in order to pursue a business career.

He is currently a member of the Kennedy Space Center Astronaut Encounter team, and does lecturing and corporate motivational presentations.

SPACE COAST MEDICINE WEEK SET FOR NOV. 1– 8

EDITOR’S NOTE:  The Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation has raised more than $1.7 million in support of charity thanks to the assistance of Capt. Jon McBride and many generous and giving special people.

Central Florida Humanitarians To Be Honored TonightRelated Story:
Central Florida Humanitarians To Be Honored Tonight

Those people, and their spirit of philanthropy, will be recognized and honored on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards, which will be part of the nine-event “Space Coast Medicine Week,” produced annually by Brevard Productions, the event and production sister company of Space Coast Medicine & Active Living magazine and Space Coast Daily.

The Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards will be held at the Hilton Melbourne Rialto Place beginning at 6 p.m. with a meet and greet, followed by the dinner and awards program at 7 p.m.

DGF AMBASSADORS TO BE HONORED INCLUDE:

Rosanne Cain, BSN; Barbara Carter; Tim Cerullo, CEO, Wuesthoff; Dr. Arvind Dhople; Dr. Rachel Fornes; Nina Gadodia; Michael Haridopolos; Dr. Heidar Heshmati; Dr. Irfan ImamiEdwin Loftin, R.N., V.P. Parrish Medical Center; Astronaut Jon MacBride; Dr. Patricia Manning; Judge Alli Majeed; Dr. Ashok Shah; Mike Shah; Naren Shah; Mr. and Mrs. William Terry; Susan Tindall;  Dr. David Weldon; Bruce Wolters and Vitas Hospice.

Parrish Medical Center with CEO George Mikitarian, will also be recognized and honored with a Doctors Goodwill Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award for their many years of support of the Doctors Goodwill Foundation charitable endeavors.

RELATED: Doctors Goodwill Foundation Committed To Needy

Dr. Kantilal Bhalani
Dr. Kantilal Bhalani

“The entire Doctors Goodwill Foundation board and community feels heartfelt gratitude to the people who contribute their time, resources and compassion to the charitable endeavors that we undertake,” said Dr. Kanti Bhalani, the Founder of the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation.

“The Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation can only do what it does, thanks to the love and support that it’s friends provide. We feel it is important to recognize people who give of themselves and that is why we created the Doctors Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards.”

COMPELLING MULTIMEDIA TRIBUTE VIDEOS & STORIES

Stay tuned to SpaceCoastDaily.com and Space Coast Medicine & Active Living magazine for extensive multimedia coverage of each and every honoree, as we present their compelling charitable works through stories and special tribute films by Maverick Multimedia, Inc.

Central Florida Humanitarians To Be Honored TonightRelated Story:
Central Florida Humanitarians To Be Honored Tonight

Don’t miss the Oct/Nov 2014 special edition of Space Coast Medicine & Active Living magazine for complete multimedia coverage of the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards – and all the events of “Space Coast Medicine Week.”

For dinner reservations to the Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation Ambassador Awards call 321-749-1282. For sponsor or exhibitor information, call 321-323-4460 or 321- 615- 8111, or e-mail MaverickMultiMedia@gmail.com