Space Camp Online Fundraiser Honors Late Metro Detroit Man

FERNDALE (WWJ) - A Ferndale man has come up with some creative ways to honor a lifelong friend who died unexpectedly this month.

WWJ's Marie Osborne reports that when 34-year-old Daniel Wilson passed away in his sleep, his friend, Dave Zabihaylo was devastated.  In tribute, Zabihaylo arranged to have his friend's ashes sent into low Earth orbit as part of Elysium Space, a memorial spaceflight company.

"Daniel Wilson was my best friend, and was the biggest proponent of both space exploration and science education I've ever know," Zabihaylo said. "We're very happy that he'll actually have a chance to go to space, which was  something he's always wanted to do."

Having planned that, Zabihaylo and his wife thought about taking it one step further.

The couple set up a Gofundme page with the goal of sending young potential astronauts to space camp.

"He was constantly sending us stories about NASA and space exploration...," Zabihaylo said. "We both agreed that the much better idea would be to set up the next generation of kids who love space the way Dan did."

"Every donation will be made in Daniel's name, ensuring a small part of him goes too," Zabihaylo said.

For every $1,000 raised, one deserving kid will experience a full week of Space Camp via a scholarship fund. Just 12 hours after the page went up, enough money was already raised to send one child to camp.

To learn more or to donate, click HERE.