Mary Robinette Kowal and the Lady Astronaut Club will commemorate the events of The Calculating Stars and raise money for HIAS in Ukraine in an online event on March 3. Registration for tickets through Eventbrite is free, with donations accepted at checkout.

On March 3, 1952, The Meteor hit the Chesapeake Bay and changed the world. Now we have humans living on Mars and the Moon, but we still pause and reflect on that important day.

With much research and persistence, Mary Robinette Kowal has chronicled these events in her books The Calculating Stars, The Fated Sky, and The Relentless Moon.

Join Mary Robinette Kowal and the historic Lady Astronaut Club community as we commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Meteor with a Zoom gathering in the Astronaut Training Facility, including a bartender and an opportunity to mingle.

We know that many of your relatives have created time capsules to be opened on March 3rd, 2022 – we’d love to see them!

The Lady Astronaut Club, originally a social gathering for children who were fans of the original Lady Astronaut, Elma York, and who were displaced from their homes by the catastrophic event on March Third. As those children grew up, the LAC evolved into a society dedicated to kindness and helping their community. Many members are dedicated to raising funds for those displaced by disasters.

This 70th Anniversary gala will also serve as a fundraiser for HIAS in Ukraine.

You might notice that I have a Ukrainian surname.

My husband's grandfather emigrated from Kyiv to escape "the troubles." We don't know any of our relatives there because he fled leaving everything behind. He changed his name to simplify it for English speakers.

— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) March 1, 2022

I've decided that canonically, those early members of the Lady Astronaut Club grew up and started a philanthropic branch — The Thirds — who raise money for those displaced by disasters.

So the gala that we're throwing on Wednesday is a fundraiser.

— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) March 1, 2022

The how is in the details on the event page. But the short form is that the event is all online. I'll be there, cosplaying and maaaaybe have some fiction to share with you. https://t.co/d1kQDjeOjZ

— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) March 1, 2022

THURSDAY! March 3rd.

— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) March 1, 2022

Here’s more about the organization receiving the donations, HIAS in Ukraine.

Originally established in 2001 to assist Jewish migrants emigrating from Ukraine to the United States, HIAS’ presence today is through a partnership with Right to Protection (R2P), an independent Ukrainian NGO based in Kyiv with offices across Ukraine, (including in government-controlled areas of Donbas, East Ukraine). R2P provides legal assistance as well as monitors and advocates for improvements in the legal and regulatory framework affecting internally displaced people (IDPs); conflict-affected persons residing in or near non-government controlled territories; refugees; asylum seekers; and stateless persons.

Kowal says, “History is marked by people being displaced from their homes by catastrophic events. We are at our best when we pull together and lift up our neighbor.”

[Thanks to Christian Brunschen for the story.]