Not content only to honor those who have valiantly defended the teaching of evolution in the public schools with its annual Friend of Darwin award (presented for 2010 to Niles Eldredge), NCSE also presents the annual UpChucky, bestowed on the most noisome creationist of the year. "It's a spoof award, of course," explained NCSE's executive director Eugenie C. Scott, "but even so there's a lot of competition out there, unfortunately."
The nominees for 2010, as announced in a press release issued on March 29, 2011, were: Answers in Genesis, for its proposed Ark Encounter theme park; John Freshwater, the Mount Vernon, Ohio, middle school science teacher who was fired over his inappropriate religious activity in the classroom, including teaching creationism; and the Louisiana Family Forum, for its unremitting attempts to undermine the teaching of evolution in Louisiana's public schools.
And the winner is ... Answers in Genesis, whose "Ark Park" project is already controversial not only because of the threat it poses to the state's reputation but also because of the prospect of its receiving state tourism development incentives, to the tune of 37.5 million dollars over ten years. "I don't remember Noah asking for a government handout to build his ark," joked NCSE's Scott. "Why isn't Answers in Genesis following his model?"