"The families of the Space Shuttle Columbia crew are deeply grateful for the generous outpouring of support and affection we have received from around the world over the past weeks. Many people have asked how they can honor the STS-107 crew and assist our families during this difficult time. There are several charitable funds that have been established on our behalf.”A NASA contractor contributed the website www.columbiashuttlefund.com that describes three categories for contributions - Funds that help out all of the families, funds that help specific crewmembers, and funds that contribute to the education of the children.
There are several funds for the education of the astronauts’ children. Five of the Columbia astronauts had children (K.C. and Dave didn't) ranging in age from 5 to 22. After the Challenger accident, NASA received an overwhelming response from people who wanted to help. Legally, NASA could not accept contributions from the public, so a separate non-profit organization was set up. After the last of the Challenger astronaut children became adults, the decision was made to keep the organization in place just in case there were future space accidents.
Contributions can be sent to:
The Space Shuttle Children's Trust Fund
P.O. Box 34600
Washington, DC 20043-4600
The Columbia Families Fund was started by the National Science Center in Augusta Georgia to gather donations to provide immediate financial assistance for the families. Their chairman was Joe Edwards, an ex-astronaut who flew with Mike Anderson on STS-89. Edwards said the Columbia Families fund received $321,000 in donations from school children, corporations, and individuals around the world as far away as England and Qatar.
Some of the families have no need for charity, but recognize the public's desire to give as part of the grieving process. They've passed on the contributions they've received to their astronaut's favorite charity. For example, Dave’s favorite charity was “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” (FIRST), an educational group where students build robots.
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