It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for four lucky Silhouette customers, as they witnessed a live NASA shuttle launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The customers, grand prize winners of Silhouette’s Titan Minimal Art Space Race Sweepstakes, each won an all-expense paid trip for two to the event.

The winners, from Eye Physicians Inc. of Kokomo, Ind.; Family Eyecare of Glendale, Ariz.; Focal Point Optical of Arlington, Texas and the Southern College of Optometry of Memphis, Tenn., and their guests and sales reps were treated to an oceanfront hotel, a tour of the Kennedy Space Center, a welcome reception and photo opportunity with Marsha Ivins, a veteran NASA astronaut of five space missions and, of course, the live shuttle launch viewed from the private rooftop area at the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

“I thought I’d seen everything, but this was spectacular,” says Leonard Kaplan, father of Dr. David Kaplan of Family Eyecare. “It was very moving and truly extraordinary.” Dr. Kaplan is pictured here with astronaut Marsha Ivins.

The sweepstakes ran from September 2006 through February of this year. Participants received a Space Race game board and specially produced mission decals for each Silhouette and adidas frame purchased. Each decal represented a patch from the space shuttle missions Silhouette and adidas eyewear have been flown on since their first flight in 2000. Customers who filled their boards instantly won their choice of limited-edition NASA collectibles. They were then entered into a drawing to win the Grand Prize trip to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. More than 2,000 Silhouette customers participated in the promotion.

—Jackie Micucci