To make up for revenue lost due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert will host a virtual musical fundraiser Friday over Facebook Live.
The museum shuttered in March due to COVID-19, stopping ticket sales and other revenue-generating mechanisms which the Rancho Mirage nonprofit relies on for its survival.
“CDMOD is a private nonprofit institution that depends on memberships, daily admissions sales and program enrollment as a majority of its revenue,” said Carol Scott, the museum’s CEO. “This shutdown will be difficult for us to bounce back from.”
Local weatherman and entertainment personality Bryan Gallo will emcee the fundraiser, which begins at 5 p.m., and local artists such as Kal David and Lauri Bono are also scheduled to perform. Special guests are expected to pop in throughout the evening, the museum announced.
Ed and Susan Burger will match up to $35,000 in donations.
In April, the museum announced it would begin posting free children’s educational programming on its social media pages with information such as how to make a water xylophone.
In the months since, it has continued to provide local kids with free things to do online, especially activities rooted in STEAM — or science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics — along with cooking workshops and storytime hours.
The pandemic has also forced the museum to postpone its spring fundraiser, the All-American Discovery Duck Pluck, and furlough 25 employees.
“We need each other more than ever right now,” Scott said. “The museum has been a place families have come to rely on for safe family fun for nearly 30 years.”
The museum’s Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/DiscoverCDMOD/. Donations can be made at cvcovidrelief.com/.