Astrodome 2.0
March 31, 2023
The current AstroDome is now 10 years old and if you look closely, you will see that it is starting to show its age. It will need to be replaced in the next year or two. In order to make this happen, I'm seeking financial contributions. Like so many other small businesses, the pandemic was very hard on my business. I was not permitted to visit schools for 616 days (March 2020 to November 2021) and so during those 20 months the AstroDome did not generate any income whatsoever. Furthermore, most of the money that had been saved up and set aside for the new planetarium, prior to the start of the pandemic, was spent during the pandemic just to make ends meet.
Now, with rapid inflation pushing up the cost of everything, and the exchange rate of the Canadian Dollar a little lower than expected, I've had to increase the budget for this new planetarium from $64,000 to $74,000. I'm hoping that I will be able to raise 70% of that amount through contributions and the sale of gift certificates over the next 18 months. This will allow me to purchase the new portable planetarium in late 2024 and I would then be able to start visiting schools with this new planetarium during the 2024-25 school year.
The new portable planetarium will be 36% bigger than the current AstroDome and therefore it will hold more people. It will be able to accommodate two classes at once! In addition, the new portable planetarium will project twice as many pixels onto the dome above, compared to the current AstroDome, making the movies and images look much sharper and significantly better.
Please help me reach my funding goal so that I can continue visiting schools for another 10 years. Your generous contribution will allow me to share the wonders of the sky with approximately 70,000 students during the anticipated 10-year lifespan of this new portable planetarium.
Sincerely,
Now, with rapid inflation pushing up the cost of everything, and the exchange rate of the Canadian Dollar a little lower than expected, I've had to increase the budget for this new planetarium from $64,000 to $74,000. I'm hoping that I will be able to raise 70% of that amount through contributions and the sale of gift certificates over the next 18 months. This will allow me to purchase the new portable planetarium in late 2024 and I would then be able to start visiting schools with this new planetarium during the 2024-25 school year.
The new portable planetarium will be 36% bigger than the current AstroDome and therefore it will hold more people. It will be able to accommodate two classes at once! In addition, the new portable planetarium will project twice as many pixels onto the dome above, compared to the current AstroDome, making the movies and images look much sharper and significantly better.
Please help me reach my funding goal so that I can continue visiting schools for another 10 years. Your generous contribution will allow me to share the wonders of the sky with approximately 70,000 students during the anticipated 10-year lifespan of this new portable planetarium.
Sincerely,
James Durbano BSc, BEd
Two Ways to Contribute
I have set up a GoFundMe Campaign to raise 20% of the required funds for the new planetarium. There is also a new Gift Certificate Program that will raise 50% of the required funds. The Gift Certificate Program offers a very generous reward (between 75% and 100%) in the form of BONUS Gift Certificates. For example, if you purchase a $100 Gift Certificate, you will receive two additional Gift Certificates valued at $50 each! So, if you spend $100 on a Gift Certificate, you will receive a total of $200 in Gift Certificates!
The Gift Certificate Program officially started on March 31, 2023. If you would like to secure one of the limited number of Gift Certificates, all you have to do is contact me sometime soon, and in case you're wondering, the expiry date on all the Gift Certificates is December 31, 2029. Yes, that's correct, you have more than 6 years to use these Gift Certificates! You can even use these Gift Certificates in the next 12 months, before the new planetarium is even purchased. Some conditions do apply, please be sure to read the Terms and Conditions.
The Gift Certificate Program officially started on March 31, 2023. If you would like to secure one of the limited number of Gift Certificates, all you have to do is contact me sometime soon, and in case you're wondering, the expiry date on all the Gift Certificates is December 31, 2029. Yes, that's correct, you have more than 6 years to use these Gift Certificates! You can even use these Gift Certificates in the next 12 months, before the new planetarium is even purchased. Some conditions do apply, please be sure to read the Terms and Conditions.
AstroDome Planetarium 2.0
(Artist's Conception)
(Artist's Conception)