First Posted: 3/10/2010

LUMBERTON Ten years ago, a childrens museum in Robeson County seemed as likely to happen as pigs flying, museum Director Stacie Kinlaw said.
When what became known as the Exploration Station and The Childrens Place of Robeson came to downtown Lumberton, metal pigs with wigs were affixed to the roof.
In celebration of its anniversary, the center has launched a fundraising campaign that will try to get individuals to donate $10. The idea started with Maggie Underwood and her parents Tanya and David Underwood, longtime members of the museum.
They want to challenge all members and friends to donate at least $10 this year in honor of the Exploration Stations birthday, Kinlaw said. And so their family helped put together a money tree. … Here at the station when you make a $10 donation, you get to create your own piece of money to hang on the money tree. We hope that by our birthday in September we will have multiple trees all filled with green.
Maggie Underwood gave the first gift in February. The fundraiser will run through the end of the year. Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 1183, Lumberton, N.C., 28359.
Another fundraiser is a St. Patricks Day party set to begin at 7 p.m. Saturday at Black Water Grille. The Goldrush band will play everything from beach music to rock while party-goers dine on heavy hor doeuvres vegetables, meatballs, chicken wings, fruit and cheese and green drinks at two cash bars.
We just want the community to come have a fun time, said Brooke Hardee, assistant director.
Six paintings will be sold during a silent auction.
It will be a separate room, Hardee said. I dont want people to feel like they need to bring their pocketbook. Their ticket sale is their donation. Its just going to be a fun party environment.
Approximately 250 tickets have been sold, with 50 more available.
They are going fast, Hardee said.
Tickets are $45 a person and $75 per couple in advance, and $10 more at the door. For information or tickets, call the museum at (910) 738-1114 or visit Just Teazin, Girlee Girls, Sisters Boutique, The Desperate Housewife or The Exploration Station.
The Exploration Station, located at 104 N. Chestnut St., features 12 interactive exhibits. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. Admission is $3 a child and $1 for adults. Annual family memberships are $60 and include entry to the museum and discounts on other activities. The museum records about 12,000 visits each year.
The museums offers monthly kids camps, weekly story times, art classes, craft days, summer camp programs and hosts birthday parties and school field trips.
It operates on money from the city of Lumberton, the county, the Robeson County Partnership for Children and donations from businesses and individuals.