SciWorks Raising Funds through Indiegogo, Bringing Sports Exhibit to Winston-Salem This Summer

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - March 25, 2013 - PRLog -- Engaging with the science of sports, visitors to SciWorks will have the opportunity to learn the physics behind a curveball, find out if they can jump as high as a pro basketball player and test the strength of their arms in wheelchair races this summer when the science center brings the Sportsology traveling exhibit to Winston-Salem. The science center is utilizing the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo in order to help with the costs of the exhibit.    “We are excited to help the community learn about the science of sports with this interactive, bilingual exhibit,” says Paul Kortenaar, SciWorks’ Executive Director. “We thought this would be an engaging, active exhibit for the summer that will encourage kids to get involved with sports, which is extremely important as childhood obesity has become such a problem in our society.  Learning the science of sports is fundamental to playing well and playing smart.”     Sportsology, on loan from the ScienceWorks Museum in Ashland, Oregon, opens the first week of June and runs through the end of August. “The exhibit is composed of a series of hands-on challenges that allow visitors to test their athletic abilities while learning how their bodies work,” Kortenaar says.     “The exhibit is in line with our goals of helping kids develop skills of innovation such as perseverance — no one can throw a baseball just once when they are learning to pitch!”    Visitors to SciWorks will be invited to challenge themselves or each other with activities focused on strength, skill and endurance, skills that are used in sports such as soccer, basketball, baseball, football and tennis. The exhibit also celebrates the value of fitness, exercise, and the lifelong process of learning to use physical and intellectual strength in ways that are enjoyable and rewarding.     Exhibit features include:    •    Hang Time – Grab onto a bar and test your endurance!  •    Get a Grip – A true strength test, how strong is that firm handshake?  •    Action Reaction – Can you be a great soccer goalie?  Test your reaction time.  •    Vertical Leap – Compare how high you can jump to three professional basketball players.  •    Fast Ball – Throw the ball at a target and see just how fast you can pitch.  •    Wheel Chair Racers – Race a friend and see how fast you can go by just using your arms.  •    Flex-Ability – Learn how much stretch you really have.    As with all traveling exhibits, there is a significant cost involved, which is a challenge for the museum, and Kortenaar is always looking for creative ways to raise the funds needed. “To keep a science center such as this fresh and exciting, we need to constantly bring in new exhibits for our members and visitors,” Kortenaar says. “Thus, we are trying to raise $25,000 through sponsorships and the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo.”    To help contribute to SciWorks and ensure that the science center will continue to bring innovative exhibits for the public to enjoy, click here to contribute to the campaign on Indiegogo.    About SciWorks    Originally established as the Nature Science Center by the Junior League of Winston-Salem in 1965, SciWorks is a non-profit Science Center and Environmental Park of Forsyth County that includes 25,000 square feet of exhibits, a planetarium and a 17-acre environmental park. Located just off University Parkway at 400 W. Hanes Mill Road in Winston-Salem, SciWorks is open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.sciworks.org or follow SciWorks on Facebook or Twitter. .

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