Wednesday May 28th, LeVar Burton took it upon himself with his devoted children book lovers to bring the Reading Rainbow back into everyone’s lives after a years long hiatus. He started a Kickstarter campaign to raise a million dollars in 35 days. His hopes were high, but his determination was also. Within hours, he realized that not only did people support bringing the Reading Rainbow back, but only a short 11 hours into the 35 day Kickstarter campaign did he reach his million dollar goal. Into its second day, he is on his way to doubling it and then some, with 34 days still left.
Levar’s Kickstarter introduction:
“Hi. LeVar Burton here. You may know me as Kunta Kinte, from ROOTS, or Geordi La Forge, from Star Trek: The Next Generation. You also may have grown up with me on Reading Rainbow. It was my mother who taught me that, by picking up a book, I could “go anywhere” and “be anything.” Ever since Reading Rainbow began in 1983, I have dedicated myself to fostering a love of reading in children, just as my mother did for me. Over the past year, I have watched Kickstarter bring communities together to support artists and inventors. Again and again, I have been inspired by watching like-minded people team up to accomplish impossible dreams, and to change the world.”
If you want to support him in this endeavor, you can click the logo above and donate as little as $5 or as much as $10,000. What does $10,000 get you, you may ask? Well, there are 2 different perks you can get for that price. The first is the, “SCHOOL ASSEMBLY WITH LeVAR.” Where, LeVar himself will visit the school of your choice to read live for children and teachers in a school assembly! Afterward, you can meet him in person, at a private Meet & Greet for teachers and parents! PLUS, this includes everything in the $5000 ADOPT A SCHOOL Package! One of the five of these perks has already been claimed, but four more are still available. The second $10,000 perk is for you Star Trek lovers out there, that know LeVar more as Geordi La Forge. “The ULTIMATE STAR TREK ‘GEORDI’S VISOR’ Package” You and a friend will be LeVar’s personal guests for a PRIVATE DINNER in Los Angeles, and you will get to wear the ONE-AND-ONLY ORIGINAL VISOR that LeVar wore in ST:TNG. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! This is limited to one and only one perk. I have no doubt a life long “Trekkie” will sweep this up by time the next 34 days are up.
To check out all the perks that are available in the Kickstarter, click on the Reading Rainbow logo above. The perks range from a T-shirt, tote bag or coffee mug, to meeting with LeVar at a few conventions across the country, such as a official Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, Fandomfest in Louisville, Wizard World Chicago Comic Con or Reading Rainbow live in either Toronto, Los Angeles or New York. If you want to catch a bite to eat with LeVar you can grab one of the few group picnic perks that are left, but alas all the private dinners have been pickup up already. Except for that one special “visor” one.