PIXELATED PINHEADS: MINECRAFT EVENT AIMS FOR KIDS TO HELP KIDS

10 May PIXELATED PINHEADS: MINECRAFT EVENT AIMS FOR KIDS TO HELP KIDS

Have you ever heard of a fundraiser that offers a kid an opportunity to win $500? How will they use that money? New skis? Soccer camp? An iPad? During Pinhead’s Minecraft Mania, kids are the big winners. And it is all about supporting science in their community.

On Sunday, May 19, the Pinhead Institute hosts its first ever Minecraft Mania. The event takes place at the historic Sheridan Opera House. From 1-5 p.m.,  it’s all about the kids: Young participants get to enjoy Minecraft play, including a Mine-A-Thon, QuickBuild, and Pre-Build, all projected on the big screen at the Opera House. From 5-7 p.m., the scene changes: the music comes on, the bar opens, and we invite parents to see their Minecraft Maniacs in action, bid on items in our silent auction – and learn more about the Pinhead Institute.

Registration is open to all students of all ages. Prizes will be awarded to the winners of the various competitive events. The participant who raises the most money via pledges for Pinhead wins that $500 cash award. Sign up is easy and links to the personal pledge pages mean that collecting pledges is super simple for this fun fundraising event.

For the uninitiated, Minecraft is a popular online game with more than 20 million downloads to date – and a perfect fit for Pinhead. Why? Because those who know the game know that Minecraft operates at the nexus of engineering and computer science and we at Pinhead are all about exciting regional youth through the wonders of science and technology.

Minecraft is unlike many of the slicker games on the market today: it’s blocky like world is reminiscent of Legos. Players engage in exploration, gathering resources, and crafting. Minecraft is a way to encourage creative thinking and development, which we hope to do experience together during this all-day play opportunity.

Through this new and different fundraising endeavor, our hope is that kids will help other kids. By collecting pledges for play, a portion of the funds students collect will go towards supporting some of Pinhead’s free programming, offered throughout the year to our community. Funds raised will also go towards Pinhead’s “Scholars in the Schools,” “Pinhead Internship Program,” “No School Science Project,” “Stargazing Series,” and many more exciting experiential programs.

“We think it will be very exciting for participants to be able to play Minecraft on the big screen at the Sheridan Opera House,” said Sonchia Jilek, Pinhead’s executive director. “The event is also a great new way to have fun while supporting Telluride’s one and only science education non-profit.”

Pinhead Institute’s registration and guidelines for its upcoming Minecraft Mania are now online via the website.

For more information and questions, please feel free to contact the Pinhead Institute at 970-708-7441 or visit us online at www.pinheadinstitute.org for additional details.