Thrilling doesn't even begin to describe how all these forces came together with one end goal.  SAVE THE CHILDREN. 

Brett and Christian Caramico are the founders of Imperial Workshop which they started in The Moorings a few years ago from their parent's home.  You may recall the story from the October '22 issue showcasing their state-of-the-art dueling sabers (think of your favorite space movies).  Fast forward through a major hurricane and a couple of years under their business belt and the next thing you know they are flying in fighter jets, sending one of their sabers into space and donating $25,000 to St. Jude!  Whew - what a ride! 

"Recently, we had the privilege of flying with the Polaris Ghost Squadron from Lakeland to Fort Lauderdale for the Fort Lauderdale Air Show. It was an amazing experience, looking out the canopy of the L39 you can see everything. The jets are designed with pilot training in mind so they have a ton of cool features in the cockpit. The mission of the Polaris Ghost Squadron is to inspire the next generation of pilots while raising funds and awareness for St. Jude. Their fleet of jets also offers training opportunities for astronauts from the Polaris Program and other spaceflight initiatives, providing invaluable real-world experience ahead of missions to space." - Brett Caramico. 

The fighter jet shows happen year-round providing an additional way to raise funds for St. Jude rather than only when a rocket launches.  Are Brett and Christian training to become pilots?  I think it's safe to say they have been smitten by that 20-30 minute flight in the L-39 which can reach a top speed of 470 mph!

What exactly is the Polaris Program?   The Polaris program is a private spaceflight program organized by entrepreneur Jared Isaacman. Building on his experience as commander of the Inspiration4 mission—the first all-civilian spaceflight—Isaacman contracted with SpaceX to establish Polaris.  The mission, which took place in September of this year, served multiple purposes and broke new records.   

Throughout their five-day mission, the Polaris Dawn crew reached the highest Earth orbit ever flown since the end of the Apollo program, passing through portions of the Van Allen radiation belt.  How far you ask?  870 miles!   While the Polaris Dawn crew has their sights set on the stars, they remain committed to making a monumental change back here on Earth by supporting ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL.  St. Jude’s mission is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Ensuring no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay. Striving closer to a day where no child dies in the dawn of life. Imperial Workshop is proud to donate $25,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to celebrate the Polaris Dawn mission to Space.

The mission also focused on scientific technologies which was also the first time SpaceX ever got involved with these types of experiments.  The launch was delayed several times while the program tested the new EVA suits used in space exploration.   SpaceX also tested a type of laser communication system. Crew member Sarah Gillis performed and recorded the Star Wars theme on her violin in space which was then transmitted via the SpaceX constellation satellite and sent back to Earth.  A contact lens with built-in technology that monitors vital signs was also in test mode.  Who else it thinking Terminator?

So how does all of this circle back to the Caramico brothers? It's a match made in the heavens above.  They wanted to be involved and give back so it all fell into space... I mean place.  They developed and named a special saber which they offered to send into space with a passion to raise even more funds for St. Jude by offering a discount to anyone who donates to St. Jude.  The special saber went through rigorous atmospheric testing including a vacuum chamber to make sure it could handle the pressure of space travel and not explode into pieces.  And now they can say the Excalibur hilt is "Space Tested".   Way to go boys.  We're so proud of you! 

May the Force be with all of you.  We applaud your efforts to support St. Jude and their mission.  We look forward to keeping up with you and the next frontier.  

Be sure to click on the QR code links in the article to learn more about all the programs and make donations.  

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***Breakout box***

Fighter jet experience -

"It was AWESOME.   It was one of the coolest things.  It was like you were in a bullet.  The canopy was open so you could see everything."

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