One of Juneau’s most distinctive businesses is working to raise money as it looks to continue its services in a new location.<\/p>\n
Game On, a video game store that also strives to promote diversity and provide a safe place for marginalized people, moved to the Nugget Mall last year<\/a> but the transition has not gone smoothly, co-owner Casey Harris said Wednesday. There have been issues, mostly with contractors helping them set up their new space, and the shop began a Kickstarter to raise money to preserve its services, Harris said.<\/p>\n The fundraising goal was set at $20,000 when the Kickstarter opened May 3. As of Wednesday, the campaign — entitled “Game On: An Extra Life for Diversity in Videogames”<\/a> — had raised just shy of $5,500.<\/p>\n “We had a great surge of interest right away,” Harris said. “We got almost a quarter of our funds pledged immediately, but it’s been very, very slow since then.”<\/p>\n As a result of the rules of Kickstarter, the campaign has a month to raise its stated goal or it will not be funded. The deadline for the Game On Kickstarter is 4:59 p.m. Alaska Time this coming Sunday. Harris said that if the money isn’t raised, the shop is in danger of shutting down due to financial difficulties.<\/p>\n [Juneau’s bowling alley sees bowl-d new changes<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n Harris said that Game On has attracted attention nationwide, including earning a SCORE National Small Business Champion in 2017, and there are a few organizations that are closely watching the Kickstarter campaign. Some of those organizations, Harris said, wait until a campaign gets to a certain point in its fundraising before contributing.<\/p>\n Real moment here: we are at a critical point. There are a lot of people following our campaign, including some larger organizations which care about our cause, but right now, everyone is waiting to see if anyone else will really help in the end.<\/p>\n — Game On (@Game_On_Alaska) May 28, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n