Date: February 19, 2010

Sell your gold (Au) for cash in mini-fundraiser

Visitors can turn their gold items into cash at a "Strike Gold at Explorit" mini-fundraiser on Saturday, March 13.

Then, after lining their pockets, they can learn about gold (Au) and other elements on the Periodic Table through fun hands-on activities. Special rocks and minerals will be out for examination. (Crystals look especially cool under a microscope). These activities will be available to all museum-goers.

Here's how the fundraiser works:

Consultants from Goldbug Gold Recyclers will meet individually with visitors who have made reservations. They'll determine gold karat type and weight, and make an offer to buy the items. Most people take home $100 to $200 at Goldbug events, said Lisa Paragary Engelken, owner of the company.

Visitors are under no obligation to sell, but most people are pleasantly surprised by their offer, she added. Gold is currently selling at a very high price on the fluctuating world market. Goldbug buys all karats and colors of gold, Black Hills gold, dental gold, broken or tangled jewelry, and platinum.

Visitors are paid cash on the spot. Explorit gets to keep 20 percent of the purchase price, and the sellers don't get paid less for the gold because of Explorit's earnings, said Paragary Engelken. The center's revenue will go toward "Save Explorit" campaign, which has a goal of raising $600,000 by Aug. 1.

The "Strike Gold at Explorit" event will run from 1-3 p.m. March 13 at Explorit's main site, 2801 Second St. in Davis. Reservations for selling gold may be made by contacting Peter Willson, director of marketing and development, at peterw@explorit.org or (530) 757-4530. Reservation deadline is March 3.

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Legos. Robots. Those were the only words needed to draw record-breaking attendance of 329 to the Explorit last Sunday. (It's a record, to be precise, for a day that doesn't offer free admission for everyone.)

"It was like a pied piper was leading a swarm of children to our center," Willson said. "This was a great first step into robotics for us. We see that there's a definite desire in the community to have more programs like this."

Two student groups that compete in Lego robotic competitions provided hands-on demonstrations. The Folsom Gatorobytes and the Folsom Phoenxtrix also shared information about their program, which combine engineering, robotics and imagination.

A final note about last weekend: Friday's Parents' Night Out program was deemed a big success, with 30 happy children and, presumably, 60 happy parents. For those who didn't get to take advantage of the opportunity, more Parents' Night Out programs will be held, with dates to be announced.

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Explorit recently received two grants to support hands-on science. Northrup Grumman gave $2,000 to sponsor the current exhibition "What's Out There? Exploring Our Universe." Davis Waste Removal gave $5,000 as general support for the center's Discovery Lessons and Inquiry Labs, which are field-trip programs for elementary schools.

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Explorit Science Center is open from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, 2 - 5 p.m. on Wednesdays - Fridays, and 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at 2801 Second St. in Davis. Admission is $4 general, free for ages 3 and under, as well as members and teachers with ID. For more information: http://www.explorit.org or (530) 756-0191.