NEW PORT RICHEY – Brainstorms NPR Inc. has launched 250 Neighbors, a community campaign inviting 250 people to put their names behind the proposed Brainstorms STEAM Discovery Center in downtown New Port Richey.
Brainstorms is asking residents to give what they can, whether $10, $25, $50, $100 or more, because every person who participates becomes part of a demonstration that the community believes in the project. Every dollar contributed also counts toward a $125,000 matching commitment secured for the proposed center.
“As America marks its 250th anniversary this year, we thought there was something fitting about asking 250 members of our own community to invest in what the next generation will inherit,” said Daisy Thomas, vice president of the board of directors for Brainstorms. “We want people to be able to say, ‘I helped make this happen.'”
Brainstorms NPR has proposed transforming the property at Main and Bank streets into a science discovery center designed to serve children, families, educators and the broader Nature Coast community.
The proposed center would combine hands-on STEAM learning, environmental education, technology, family programming and community engagement while creating a new year-round destination in downtown New Port Richey.
The campaign comes as Brainstorms prepares for the next stage of public consideration of the Main and Bank proposal. Rather than relying only on large donors or institutional support, the organization wants the campaign to capture the number of community members willing to stand behind the idea.
“A $10 gift and a $1,000 gift are obviously different financially, but for this campaign they share something important,” Thomas said. “Both represent a person saying they believe our community should have a place where kids can discover what excites them, families can learn together,and the next generation can see more of what is possible right here.”
Want to learn more?
Brainstorms is also inviting residents to learn more about the proposal through two public Ask Us Anything sessions.
The first session will be held from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. Sept. 2, followed by a second session from 5 to 6:15 p.m. Sept. 9. Both sessions will take place in the Magnolia Room at New Port Richey Public Library.
